Joke's On You
by Li'l Yahiko
Summary: Collaboration with Arual-san. Robin starts having nightmares about a villain from the past, and when he comes face to face with him, he decides to return to Gotham to take down his fears. However, they may not just be nightmares. RobinStarfire
1. Chapter 1

Joke's On You

Chapter 1

The sweat clung to his skin, even after he awoke, eyes wide and peering into the dark, as if the shadows were to descend upon him and swallow him whole. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, deafening his gasps for air.

Finally, he calmed his nerves and pulled himself into a sitting position on the edge of his mattress. Moonlight streamed in through his window, dully illuminating the room. He looked at his hands. They were shaking.

He let out a long exhale and clenched and unclenched his fingers a few times. It had been… for lack of a better phrase coming to mind… a HELL of a dream. Yes. Hell was the perfect word for it.

Ambushed.

Alone.

Caged.

And that laughing.

"Poor little caged birdie!" That maniacal cackle.

He shivered, jumping to his feet. He hadn't had a dream about him in… ages… and it certainly had never been that vivid.

He remembered a white hand shoving itself violently between the bars of his cage, clutching a blade that just barely grazed his neck as he tumbled backward out of fear.

"Can't flap his wings, can he!" The voice continued to screech in his ears.

He shook his head, following the guide of the moonlight to the door and across the hall into the bathroom. He found himself staring at his reflection, black hair mussed, the whites of his eyes oddly apparent in the dark room. He ran his fingers over his throat, finding no cut.

He splashed cold water on his face to destroy the image. Robin's masked eyes told him that he was safe in the tower where everything was as it should be but the rest of him told different stories. Of its own accord, his addled mind warped his other senses so that they became devious liars that relayed things that weren't there. Suddenly his fingers stung like they had when he had clawed against the fine wiring of the bird cage for any hope of escape. Echoes played in his ears of Harley strumming her fingers along the bars like she was taunting a caged animal up for slaughter. These details of his imprisonment and more still pounded in on Robin from every direction, assuring him that the nightmare wasn't finished with him even if he was awake. He clawed at his skull to drive out the visions that his head created itself but they only came at him more forcefully in response. It was too much. The truths his eyes told him were drowning in the lies of his other senses and they built, built, until he couldn't bear it any longer.

Robin shattered with his fist the image of the tormented boy before him and the sound resounded like the crack of a gunshot in silence of the tower.

-

Titans Tower, Jump City. Saturday, 11:15 A.M.

With a severe furrow to his brows that kept increasing, Cyborg flipped through the channels on the big screen. "Man, there ain't nothing on this morning!"

"Maybe you should try doing something else," Raven mumbled. "Preferably something quiet." She turned a page in her ancient-looking book that she always seemed to have on her person but never seemed to finish. The annoyance in her voice seemed to be pointing out a reason as to why she had yet to complete it.

Cyborg glanced back at her for a moment, as if possibly considering her advice, but then went straight back to flipping reading the text on the page, Raven rolled her eyes.

Multitasking with one hand in the fridge, one hand holding a bottle of mustard that she sucked down like soda, Starfire was in the middle of preparing a meal for Silkie. By her standards, anything "interesting" would be a meal unfit for human consumption but, being non-human, Silkie was the only Tower resident that would merrily eat anything she put in reach of his pincers.

"We are running out of the food," she mentioned, though neither of her teammates made any sign that they were listening.

She sighed, settling with scooping Silkie up onto the counter to eat the blue, fuzzy pizza that had been on the top shelf for far too long. The little silkworm jumped over the pie beginning to brim with bacterial life and guzzled it down like it was a living vacuum cleaner.

That matter was remedied, and Silkie had additionally gotten his protein for the day in eating the bacteria. Starfire removed the uneaten scraps left of the pizza box, and as she threw it away her green eyes glanced to the clock on the microwave.

It was nearly 11:30...

That meant that Beast Boy would be getting up right about… The door slid open just then as though Beast Boy had been called onto stage. The little green boy dragged himself into the room still in his bright purple, animal-printed pajamas, absently rubbing an eye and carrying his toothbrush. "Hey," he greeted, mostly still asleep. "What happened to the mirror in the bathroom?"

"Eh? What?" He hadn't been roused by Starfire's complaint but now Cyborg looked away from the television in genuine interest.

"It's broken," Beast Boy replied bluntly, eyes instinctively trailing in Raven's direction. "You didn't trap some poor guy's soul in that mirror, did you? Like how your soul or whatever lives inside that creepy little mirror portal of yours?"

Completely pulling away from the book now, Raven glared at him with such daggers that he was quick to nervously break eye contact. However, for the intensity of that glare, she said nothing. Raven could no longer be distracted by the book before her now that the subject had been brought up. She had noticed the shattered mirror earlier that morning as well and, being the first to wake as she sometimes did, had cleaned it up before anyone else could view it. It was only a little spatter of blood but that it was there at all would've caused worry amongst the other Titans. She had been thinking on that but when she focused again on the here and now she saw the others had easily gone back to their business. It seemed that no one found the shattered mirror all that shocking. They probably all assumed it was her when her powers had been known to run rampant on occasion but she'd make time to be aggravated about that later.

Raven was concerned however. None of the other three present Titans had a scratch on them, but their leader hadn't made an appearance all morning. That in itself was odd for Robin, considering he was usually up at the crack of dawn to practice his martial arts.

Beast Boy sank into a spot on the couch, stirring up a foam in his mouth brushing his teeth. He made a few garbled noises that were supposed to be words.

"What?" Cyborg asked flatly. Beast Boy swallowed, removing the toothbrush from his mouth.

"I SAID, I'm sure Raven probably got all ticked off for WHATever reason at WHOever's soul she sealed in that mirror - was it Dr. Light? I know you've got that thing with Dr. Light! - but I hope he's not like drifting around in the air or anything. Eww, soul!" He shuddered. "I don't want to inhale SOUL, gross! What if it possesses me or something?" His own idea suddenly sent a shiver running up and down his spine and he hesitated on his next inhale. Even Cyborg was giving him a flat unbelieving look. Apparently soul swallowing was just a little too far-fetched for the robot-human who lived with the shape shifter, the alien, the demon child, and Batman's sidekick.

"I didn't break the mirror," Raven hissed, not looking up from the book. Her response was out of pure annoyance now when before she'd wanted to deter attention from what she believed had been the true cause of the broken mirror.

"Then who did?" Cyborg asked, a little challenge in his voice, and it couldn't have been clearer that he didn't believe her.

"It's a mystery," Raven replied, sounding like she couldn't care less when actually that mystery was on top priority in her thoughts.

Just at that moment, Robin entered, moving a little more slowly than usual. Behind the mask, his eyes made a quick contact with every Titan, as if looking to see if he was being given a suspicious look. "Robin!" Starfire greeted enthusiastically, floating over to him.

"Uh, hey," he greeted back, his voice just slightly betraying a degree of nervousness. Starfire didn't notice it, or if she did, she didn't let him know it.

"Robin, it appears that our food is in short supply. Perhaps, you would like to travel with me to the store of groceries so that we may eat once more?"

"Uh… sure, later," He said rather quickly, moving around her before she could touch his injured hand. 

_That was a mistake_, he thought, remembering that fear and the swing of his fist into the looking glass. As soon as he'd punched it, the immense pain seemed to jolt him out of his state of nightmares. He'd tried to clean it up a bit but ended up getting more blood on the counter rather than less and settled with returning to his too-dark room to bandage his hand. As he had gently wrapped the cut knuckles and fingers, a memory played in the back of his head of an old butler who used to bandage his wounds for him. He had shaken it away, not wanting to be connected with that past… It didn't matter how completely alone he had felt at that moment. It was better that way.

Robin had then flexed the fingers, finding the mess gone but the pain still there, and from that point he decided to lay down to go back to sleep and pretend the event never happened. He'd clean up the mess as soon as he got up, and no one would be the wiser. All it took was a little rational thinking, and he'd had it all planned out very simply.

But sleep didn't come. Robin laid in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, heart beating against his chest, fingers aching. Every time he shut his eyes there was a distant cackle that just would not leave him alone. He was frustrated and nauseous as this noise continued to return to him no matter how many times he tried to push it back.

He didn't know when he actually dozed off from sheer exhaustion, but when he had awoken a few moments ago, he'd found it to be nearly afternoon. A quick run to the bathroom found the mess cleaned up. For a moment he feared that that event had been in his head as well, and he was losing his grip on reality, but the mirror was still shattered. That event _had_ taken place.

It didn't make him feel better.

Now as Robin dodged glances from his teammates, trying to look as casual as possible, he found the ache intensifying in his hand as he thought about it. He had to swallow hard to try not to think of that laugh.

"How am I supposed to style my hair every morning without a mirror?" Beast Boy complained, waving his toothbrush in the air. "Can we send Raven to Superhero Obedience Training or-?"

"I didn't break it!" She seethed, snapping his toothbrush in two. She managed to calm her ever-growing frustration and turned her gaze on Robin who was digging a soda out of the fridge and preparing himself a breakfast (or lunch rather) of cold Chinese takeout, using his left hand. Robin's strong hand was his right hand. The fact that he wasn't using it verified that he was the one.

But why did he do it, and why was he hiding it? She had a feeling that the first question would answer the second one.

No one said anything to Robin while he ate, Starfire sitting near him, but not really paying attention.

His sharp teeth now sparkly clean and ready to take a bite out of anything (provided it was vegan), Beast Boy shifted on the couch to get back to his room and change but with that shift in position he felt something out of place under the cushions. His eyes lit up like he was on a treasure hunt as he delved under the cushion for the mystery item in a home inhabited by teenagers. He pulled the toothbrush (half of it, at least) from his mouth with a pop.

"Frisbee!" He exclaimed like a small child. "I thought I'd lost it! Who's up for a game?" He tossed it through the air where it soared like a bird and waited for someone to grab it and accept.

A metallic hand closed over it. "Hey, BB, you wanna play?" Cyborg asked, his grin going wide, holding it up and swirling it around his finger.

Beast Boy shape-shifted into the form of a puppy dog, bouncing up and down and yipping excitedly.

Robin never even looked up. Normally he would be barking orders about playing those kinds of games outside, but apparently he didn't have the energy for it this morning.

The Frisbee was tossed back and forth like any normal game of Frisbee, except of course it was being played by a boy with robotic parts and various forms of animals. Cyborg then suddenly sent it whirling too quickly passed Beast Boy's ear for him to catch it, and unfortunately for Robin, his reflexes had been trained to be faster than his brain. His injured right hand had flown up to catch it before it smashed into his face.

He yelped out like some sort of kicked animal, dropping the disk as he gently took hold of his injured hand with his other, undamaged hand.

"Robin!" Starfire exclaimed, taking notice seconds before everyone else. "You have yelped like a frightened Zarnic! Whatever is wrong?"

"No, no! I'm fine, I'm fine!" He said quickly, biting back the pain.

"Dude, it's just plastic," Beast Boy said, lifting the Frisbee as if to examine it to see if it had become heavier or sharper. More impossible things had happened.

"You hurt your hand or something, Rob?" Cyborg asked.

And suddenly the three Titans that hadn't already figured it out fell silent one by one as the pieces fit together and realization dawned.

Robin felt small under the eyes of his teammates, but he didn't let it show. "Wh… what?" He asked. "I'm fine, I told you."

"No one yells like that unless they're hurt," Cyborg said, grabbing the Boy Wonder's wrist before he could react and yanking the glove off of his hand. "You're the one who did it, aren't you? You're the one who broke the mirror."

The normally commanding leader was speechless, sputtering and stammering over his words for quite a few seconds before managing, "It was an accident."

"How do you accidentally smash your hand into a mirror?" Beast Boy asked, incredulous.

Robin stammered a moment more before settling with a glare. "I just did, okay? Just forget about it!"

"But Robin, you are injured. We are concerned-" Starfire started, but he wasn't having any of it.

He leaped to his feet. "Forget it, okay? Leave me alone!" And with that, he stormed out, cape draped over his shoulders.

The rest of them stared after him for a long time.

"Dude…" Beast Boy finally said, breaking the thick, silent air. "What's his problem?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Raven said darkly. "This could… no, I may be wrong…. I hope that I'm wrong, but…"

"What?" Cyborg asked.

"Please, Raven, tell us what ails Robin!" Starfire begged, grasping her arm. "We are very concerned about his well-being."

Raven paused, mulling over her words. "Robin… He… During the time when Slade was haunting him, I went inside his head to get through to him. By doing that, we've made a mental connection, and a side effect of that might be a thin psychic connection. Robin may be haunted by visions of the future."

"Seriously?" Beast Boy cried. "Like the _future_ future? Where's he's that super cool Nightwing and I'm bald? I should be having nightmares about that!"

"I don't know what he's seeing," Raven growled, warning him to shut up. "I could be completely wrong."

"Y… yeah, you probably are," Cyborg offered in an attempt to calm the team of the discomfort they were all feeling. "It's pretty unlikely, you know? I mean, you weren't inside his head for more than a minute or so."

"I suppose that… could be true…" Raven mumbled, looking at the floor. _Then what would have made him act that way_, she thought. "Let's just leave him alone for right now."

"Yeah…" Beast Boy and Cyborg agreed, but Starfire looked longingly at the door.

"Hey, Star, you and I can go get the groceries," Cyborg suggested, and she solemnly nodded. Beast Boy decided to go too and ran off to his room to change into his uniform.

Raven stood in the same spot until the rest of the team had left the Tower all together.

-

Robin stared at the ceiling, making imaginary shapes out of the blank space in an attempt to ignore the nagging pain in his fist and the even more nagging pain of not being able to hide it. He exhaled through his nose, but it unfortunately didn't relieve any of his frustration.

His bedroom door slid open, drawing his attention away from the non-existent figures on his ceiling. He propped himself up on his elbows, ready to send out anyone who was planning to ask him about his hand. _I'm fine. Really, I am. Aren't I? _He thought.

Raven entered the room but kept her distance, standing only just in the doorway. "Robin," She croaked sternly. "You should have told us about the mirror."

"You were asleep. I didn't want to bother anyone," He said, averting his gaze from hers. He was a terrible liar, for sure.

She took a few more steps toward him. "You worried everyone. You're not normally the type to freak out, after all."

"It doesn't mean anything."

"Everything you do means something, Robin," Raven said, finally making her way to his bed and sitting down next to him. "I know you better than they do. I know the you that you once were. The you that was locked away."

"You don't know that much," He scowled. "You saw a few moments of my past, but that was it."

"Yes, Robin. I saw the most important moments of your life. They may have been only small segments but the molded you into you."

The Boy Wonder averted his gaze once again, staring instead at a spot on the floor. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't concern any of you."

Raven's mystic gaze drew his eyes back to hers. "Robin, we're your friends. Of course concerns us. I know I'm the last person who should be saying this but… you can't keep locking them away. You can't keep people in the dark forever."

"I grew up in the dark," He replied quietly.

Raven broke the gaze this time, knowing she was causing him discomfort. "Starfire is especially concerned about you. She cares about you more than anyone, but you continue to hold her at arm's length. It's cruel, Robin."

"Trust me, it isn't," Robin replied, getting to his feet and pacing to the other side of the room to look out the window. "I put up this wall to protect them. All of you… it's better this way."

"Protect them from what? Your past?"

"My past doesn't matter anymore. It's just memories in the shadows now. They don't need to know about it."

Raven crossed her ankles, staring at his back for awhile. "If that's how you feel, I can't deny you of it."

Robin leaned against the window, staring out into the sea.

Raven stood to leave. "Find a way to get out your anguish and frustration. If you don't, it will drive you insane. Meditation could be of good use to you right now."

He looked back at her, just to see the door shut behind her.

"Maybe meditation would do me some good…"

Twenty minutes later, Robin found himself sitting on his bedroom floor, legs crossed, hands placed together as if he was praying. He shut his eyes, exhaling slowly. After a moment, he'd created a peaceful image in his head and his body relaxed.

Silence… sweet, blissful silence…

It made the sudden wild cackle all the louder when it entered his head.

He gasped, breaking free of it in a cold sweat to find the alarm sounding through the tower. Hours had flown by, and he'd never known it…

He got to his feet and bolted out of the room. Maybe a little crime fighting would get his mind off of all of the chaos inside his dreams… He could only hope so.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun was dipping into the horizon as the group of five dashed from their tower into the city. There had been a break-in… at Wayne Enterprises. Robin couldn't help but wonder if the universe was mocking him.

"Did the report say who did it?" Robin asked as Cyborg sped down the road in the T-Car.

"No, it didn't. We just got reports of the alarm going off," Cyborg replied, not looking away from the road.

"Great," Beast Boy said. "Maybe it was a false alarm, and we can go get pizza."

"Wayne Enterprises' alarm system is too sophisticated to be tripped off by accident," Robin spouted off without thinking.

"How would you know?" Beast Boy asked.

"Well, ah… Wayne's a billionaire, and…" He hated bringing up the chapter in his life. "I broke into it when I was working for Slade."

"…Oh…" The green boy replied, and the whole car settled in a bit of uncomfortable silence. Robin's venture on the other side of law was a taboo subject no one wanted to talk or think about.

They arrived at Wayne Enterprises in mere minutes and started for the door that had been smashed open only to stop when finding nothing but a dimly lit hallway.

"Dude, where are all the guards?" Beast Boy asked.

A light popped up from Cyborg's shoulders, and it was like a little firefly drifting through the dark of the hallway. For some untold reason none could be sure of, instinct called the other Titans to remain back and await the results instead of fumbling blindly in the dark.

Starfire was the first to recognize a shape amongst the darkness, and she gathered bright energy at her palms to investigate. Once she turned the slight corner, however, to fully glimpse the fallen man she yelped. "I have found a guard, and he is frightening!"

"What?" They all asked, and Robin approached the curled up body lit by Starfire's beams, lifting him by the collar of his shirt.

What met him was a horrifying smile that took up the man's face, paired with frightened, wide eyes. The man was comatose, despite the fact that his eyes were open.

"No…" Robin whispered, feeling his heart skip a beat. The other Titans however had been diverted by a sudden loud noise coming from the heart of the building.

Robin looked up to see them bolting off down the hallway. His nerves were rattled definitely, but he couldn't let them go in there alone… It may have been some kind of copycat, maybe, but the villain was packing Joker gas. They wouldn't know how to fight it off, and he only had a small canister of antidote in his belt.

He got to his feet again, trying to ignore the tremor in his knees and took off after them.

The hallways had creepily smiling employees and guards strewn about, making even Raven shiver a little. Robin had caught up to them and taken the lead in the chase. He didn't want to look at the faces of the victims, so he kept his eyes straight ahead, though he still managed to catch the gaze of the unconscious smiling people. It made him feel sick inside. At one point his foot nudged one of the victims, causing him to emit a bone-chilling chuckle. When that happened, they all picked up speed, and Cyborg started calling for medics.

It took far too long to get down that hallway, but they finally arrived at the door where all the noise was being made, and Robin took hold of the handle, motioning for the others to prepare themselves. Swinging open the door, they all leaped inside, ready for battle.

"Stop!" Robin shouted, but any clever thing he'd been planning to say afterwards was wiped from his brain when he found four large thugs in clown garb holding mallets, and one Miss Harleen Quinzel, or Harley Quinn, sitting propped on one of their shoulders. All he could do was stare, dumbfounded, at them. All hope that it had been an imposter had been vanished, but he still couldn't believe it.

"Well, whad'dya know!" Harley exclaimed in her thick Brooklyn accent, playfully crossing one leg over the other. "It's Bird Boy! You actually showed up!"

Showed up…. _Does that mean this was planned?_ Robin thought, but his brain was clouded with all kinds of thoughts. He swallowed hard and put on his game face.

"Didn't think you would be interested in such complicated machinery, Harley," Robin smirked, recovering a few shards of his confidence. "It's a bit beyond your understanding, isn't it?"

Harley just smiled at him. "You're a regular tough guy now, aren't ya'. Look at you, standing all confident like Batsy. You've grown so much! You're practically a little man now!"

Robin was finished hearing her relate to his past and growled, clenching his fists.

"Who is she?" Starfire asked, voice slightly hesitant and slightly curious.

"You know her, Rob?" Cyborg asked.

Robin didn't answer either of them and instead threw his hand into the air and shouted, "Titans, GO!"

They all lunged themselves at the villains. Robin went straight for Harley who jumped like an acrobat into the air just in time to dodge the first swing from his Bo staff. Fortunately for Robin, he was just as, if not more, acrobatic than she, and he hit her in the back on his second swing.

"I thought Gotham City was your playground of choice," He mentioned.

"Fighting with Bats gets stale after awhile, y'know?" She grinned, jumping onto him only to be vaulted off of his shoulders and into the wall behind him.

Robin flung around swinging his staff, but this time Harley was prepared for it and caught it. "Going up?" She asked and flung him into the air using his own weapon. He flipped, landing on top of a piece of machinery and threw birdarangs at her, four out of the five catching the wall as she dodged but one slicing into the side of her face.

Normally he would have been able to hit his target better than that, but Robin discovered that his hands were trembling slightly, causing his aim to falter. He swallowed hard and tried to shove back the nagging feeling in the back of his head and the knot in his throat.

The Titans were holding their own fairly well against the thugs, but as expected, the ones that were hired by Joker were tougher than the average two-bit criminal. Most average Joe's wouldn't have the stomach to work for someone so frightening. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were at least able to keep their distance from their enemies when needing to take a slight breather, and Cyborg's stamina was stronger than the others, considering his mechanical body.

Harley had made her way up the side of the machine before Robin fully recovered and was kicked square in the jaw, knocking him off his perch and sending him plunging to the ground. He caught himself by the hands and swung his body back onto his feet.

"Not bad, Birdy. Not bad at all. You've improved since last time we played."

Though some part of him had been expecting it, hearing that soulless voice ring out behind him made his blood run cold. He didn't want to believe it to be true… They couldn't have actually followed him to Jump… but, when he turned his head to glance over his shoulder, he was met with the familiar green hair, ashen skin, and sadistic smile… the psycho himself whom the hapless victims had been forced to imitate.

"Joker…" He whispered.

The grin spread wider on the Clown Prince of Crime's face (if that was possible). "Hello," He greeted, leaning over so that Robin and he were inches apart. "Fancy meeting you here, _Sidekick_."

That word… _Sidekick_… It was enough for him to be able to ignore the weakness in his ankles for the moment and slam his fist into the clown's jaw.

"Robin," Starfire started, turning to see what was taking place when she discovered that he was outnumbered. It was a mistake. She dropped her guard just long enough for the thug she had been fighting to give her a hard punch to the gut and send her flying into the wall, leaving a rather large dent in the metal in the process.

Robin spun around when he heard Starfire cry out, but he didn't have the chance to assist her when Joker and Harley were on him in moments. He managed to block their attack from causing him too much damage, but he was quickly being fought out of the room. He didn't want to be caught completely alone with both of them or they could become too challenging for him… No, no, it wasn't good to think that way. If Batman could handle them on his own, so could Robin.

He hoped.

Starfire managed to pull herself out of the wall in a rather ungraceful fashion and get back to her feet. Angered by her own sloppiness, she fired beams from her eyes, knocking the thug into the opposite wall. "Let us see how you like it!" She shouted and fired a slew of star bolts at him.

The others seemed to take Starfire's lead and soon began getting their own advantage over each ruffian. Raven managed to use some broken wires to tie her victim to the machine while Cyborg used his sonic cannon to melt the floor into just a big enough hole to keep his foe at bay, and Beast Boy took form of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and scared his opponent into unconsciousness.

When they'd defeated the men however, they found that Robin and the two clowns were gone.

-

Outside, Robin was quickly gaining on the Joker and Harley, swinging wildly with his Bo and letting birdarangs zoom through the air. He dodged their moves gracefully, just as he'd been taught, and landed his punches at every opening.

And yet, every hit just mad the man cackle as if he'd been tickled. "Not bad, not bad at all!" He shouted. "You're pretty good, Bird Boy!"

Robin wanted to scream, his injured hand tensing up on his Bo, as that cackling laughter sounded inside and outside his head. No wonder the Joker was insane; that constant sound would drive anyone mad.

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it,_ He thought, swinging and punching and kicking. He harshly elbowed Harley in the stomach and sent her crumpling to the ground, and then it was just the two of them. The madman's eyes locked with Robin's, only focused on the boy.

It wouldn't take much. He could get him with one blow. All he needed to do was focus, and…

Focus, and…

He swung his Bo at the clown but found it stopping just short of him. Even the Joker seemed surprised that he'd stopped, and they both stared at each other for a few moments.

_I can't move…_ Robin thought, horrified. He was sure all the blood had drained from his face, and his trembling was too apparent to cover up.

There wasn't any denying, as much as he wanted to. He was scared. Frozen with fear… and the clown knew it too.

"Well, well, is that all you've got? I thought you were better than that," Joker chuckled. Even Harley could be heard giggling as she started to recover from Robin's blow.

Robin swallowed. _Move. MOVE,_ He thought, but his own words were clouded by that strumming on the bird cage, by the terrified feelings making his gut swirl, and by that _laughing_.

Of course, he wasn't even paying attention to that when Joker pulled out a Jack-in-the-box, wound it, and sent Robin backward, the first movement his body had been able to make, with the force of a boxing glove that had been hidden inside.. His back was quickly met by a harsh kick, courtesy of Harley Quinn, and before he could even react they were both pummeling him… and he couldn't even get himself to fight back.

_What is wrong with me?! I have to fight back! I can't just sit here and expect to-_ His thoughts were racing, but his body wouldn't reply to them, and when he was thrown up against the brick wall, he shouted out. Joker's hands grasped the boy's throat, cutting off his air supply.

Joker howled with laughter as Robin sputtered and coughed, tasting the familiar warm copper of blood in his mouth from earlier attacks to his mouth.

Right at that moment, a green flash of light released the Joker's hands from the Boy Wonder. "Robin!" Starfire shrieked, green eyes wide and bright with her fear.

Robin collapsed, gasping for air.

"Hey, Rob, you okay?" Cyborg asked, pulling Robin up by the arm.

He didn't answer.

"We're outnumbered, Puddin'," Harley mentioned, taking hold of the Joker's arm.

"Well, Harley, we didn't come here to fight," He grinned, his tone mocking the Titan leader, removing a joy buzzer from his jacket and pressing the button. A moment later, the Titans were nearly run over as a purple and green convertible zoomed through their path. "We've already got what we need."

Robin's eyes narrowed as he saw the Joker remove from his pocket a computer chip of some kind. The clown waved it at him insultingly as they both jumped into the vehicle. "Catch us if you can!" Harley sang. "Stomp it to the floor, Mista' J!"

"No! They are getting away!" Starfire shouted, not ready to give up the fight after what he had done to Robin. She snagged Cyborg by the arms and took to the sky and Beast Boy, taking form of a bird, took off after them. Raven lingered behind with Robin.

"So," She said, grabbing his arm to keep him from giving chase when he obviously wasn't fully recovered. "Friends of yours?"

Robin wiped the blood from his lip but didn't look at her. They had come for a reason, he knew it… but why…? He needed to know.

-

Robin and Raven returned the tower just as a storm began brewing, and by the time Robin's wounds were bandaged there was a downpour on the city. The other Titans returned dripping wet and unsatisfied. No one had to ask if the clowns had gotten away.

"They are… not nice people," Starfire growled, squeezing her hair over the sink.

"They're barely people," Robin responded flatly from his spot on the couch. He sat hunched over, staring at the floor, obviously weighed down by his thoughts. Something was coming together in his head, and he didn't seem to thrilled about where these thoughts would be leading.

"What was UP with those guys?" Beast Boy asked. "I caught up to them, and he blasted me in the face with a squirting flower!…" He sniffed a little, rubbing the red spot on his face. "It burned my eyes too. I think it had soap in it."

Starfire slowly approached Robin, concerned about his dark mood. "Robin, you knew them, did you not? Please, if you know something, perhaps we can discover their location and-"

"I already know where they're headed…" He glanced over his shoulder, finally making eye contact with the rest of the team. "Congratulations. You all just had your first meeting with Batman's arch nemesis."

It seemed to register with Cyborg first, for his eyes grew wide and his jaw slackened before he stammered out, "Y-you gotta be kidding me. That… That was the Joker? Seriously? I mean, I've heard of him, but I never thought that he'd actually be… like that."

"Whoa," Beast Boy whispered. "Never thought we'd come face to face with a real baddie like him."

"What do you mean by _real_ baddie?" Robin growled. "The villains we fight are just as bad as him."

"But dude, this is the Joker we're talking about. Batman's arch nemesis, man! That guy's like, the ultimate bad guy!"

Beast Boy rambled on about the Joker's badness, but Robin had grown irritated listening to it. He grinded his teeth for a moment before getting to his feet. "Joker's no different than Slade or anyone else we've faced." There was a crack of thunder. Robin's quiet words were more booming.

With that, the Boy Wonder stomped out of the room, leaving the Titans in silence for the second time that day.

"Something troubles Robin," Starfire said sadly. "Why will he not tell us what it is? We could assist him, couldn't we?"

"Robin has walls he doesn't let us climb over," Raven explained, placing a comforting hand on Starfire's shoulder. "When he's ready to let us through, he'll do it. Until then, we should just leave him to his peace."

"But what about what you said?" Starfire exclaimed, turning, eyes oddly apparent in the dim room. "What if Robin is being haunted by these supposed visions that you speak of? If he is in danger, should he not tell us so that we can protect him? It is not fair! If he were to ask me anything, I would answer…" By the end of her prattling, her voice had lost its bite, replaced with a hopeless tone.

"Robin's always been that way, Star. I'm sure he'll come to us with an explanation as soon as he has one," Cyborg assured her, grinning sheepishly.

Robin then re-entered the room, backpack over his shoulder, passing by them briskly as he headed for the door. "I'm going to Gotham City."

"What?" They all cried simultaneously, chasing after him and managing to stop him before he reached the door. He struggled to try and break through the wall of Titans, but there was no give in it, and finally he stopped trying, deciding to stand there and simmer.

"Why are you leaving, Robin? Why?" Starfire asked.

The boy shifted the bag onto both of his shoulders. "I'm going to get back what the Joker stole and bring him to justice."

"You sure that's wise to do that on your own?" Raven asked, narrowing her eyes at him. She couldn't believe he was leaping right into what could possibly be his downfall. It was true that she didn't know much about what had been bothering him, or much about him at all, but she knew that Joker had something to do with his current issues. Something that he hadn't told them. Something that had made his hands tremble and allowed him to drop his guard.

"I have to do it. It's my fault that he got away. I was careless," He replied. It figured that he would cover up his weakness as carelessness.

"Then let us go with you!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I've always wanted to go to Gotham City! I bet it's so cool! You can even introduce us to Batman!"

"I'm not going there to see Batman," Robin hissed. "I'm getting back what Joker stole, throwing him into Arkham, and being done with it. That's all."

"Either way, you're not going on your own," Raven replied, stepping in front of the little green boy who didn't know any better.

"Someone has to stay here and protect Jump," Robin said.

"We can call some of the honorary Titans to take our place," Raven responded, already prepared for his excuse.

"Oh, please, Robin," Starfire begged, clasping her hands together. "I would so love to see your homeland, this city of Gotham you speak of. Please, Robin. Do not go alone. We would be so worried about you if you were to travel on your own!"

Robin stared at her for a moment as if debating it, but everyone including him knew that he couldn't say no to Starfire, especially when she was laying it on so sweetly. He couldn't help but think that if Starfire were to ever stop being a Titan, she should help with hostage situations.

Shoulders slumped in defeat, he sighed, and said, "FINE."

"Yeah!" Cyborg cheered.

"All right! Road Trip!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"UNDER THE CONDITIONS," Robin interrupted their excitement, "Under the conditions that you don't talk about Batman, you don't ask questions, and you don't spend the whole trip goofing off."

"So we can goof off a little?" The two other boys questioned.

Robin glared at them, but he knew that goofing would commence whether or not he allowed it, considering those two.

"Pack your things," He told them all. "We leave tonight. They've already got a large lead on us, but we can take care of things quicker if we go ahead and get moving."

The other Titans scattered to prepare for the unknown amount of time they would be out, and Robin opened his communicator.

"Robin calling to any available Titans. The tower in Jump City is in need of looking after while we pursue J… a villain."

Immediately it lit up with calls: one from Kid Flash and Jinx a second later, one from Hot Spot, one from Kole (and Gnaark), and one from Jericho.

Robin sighed. If only no one had called… He would have been able to go alone. Facing his past was hard enough, but having to do it in front of his present… He answered the calls.

-

Starfire threw all of her clothing into her bag, along with her hair brush, her toothbrush, and her picture of Silkie in case she got to missing him while she was away. Raven's warning earlier that day had left her feeling anxious, and Robin's fighting earlier hadn't made her feel any better. She had often watched Robin train in the early morning light, seen him violently dance with an invisible opponent, swinging his limbs gracefully through the air. One would call his movements "pure poetry" she supposed, but she wasn't sure if that was the correct term considering her English was limited. He was truthfully a sight to behold during his exercise, and she'd come to memorize how each arm glided through the air, how each leg soared upwards and outwards.

Today… His fighting had been… off. Something hadn't been right about it, and while she wasn't able to watch him the entire time to discover what it was, she had noticed it. He'd lost his focus in battle because something else had been on his mind, she was sure. It had happened before, especially in his battles with Slade.

As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to figure out what could possibly be troubling him, she slowly started uncovering the idea that she knew next to nothing about him. She knew he was Robin, and that he was their leader, and that he was obsessive and calculating and brooding. She knew of his brilliance and of his downfalls, but she knew nothing of his past. What was his name? Was it Robin? Who was this Batman and why was he significant to Robin? Why did Robin keep everyone at a distance? She'd never even seen his face behind his mask.

Saddened, she decided to try and ignore the thoughts for the time being, since she heard a knocking on her door and the sound of Cyborg's voice. "Hey, Star, you comin'?"

"Yes! I… I will be with you shortly!" She called after him, dumped the rest of the contents of the top of her dresser into her bag and flew out of the room, blowing a goodbye kiss to Silkie.

It was off to Gotham… Something in her told her that this trip would not be an entirely happy one.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By the time the Titans had about prepared to leave, a rapid blur of motion came into existence before them made up of yellow and red, black and pink. Kid Flash skid to a perfect landing, where at a reasonable speed he could be properly identified, along with a rather frazzled looking Jinx who was missing a shoe, most likely because she had clutching to the speedster's shoulders.

"What's up?" Kid Flash greeted, casually waving a hand to the team. But even a few seconds delay in their answer was too long for the speedster. "So, where are you guys off to anyways?" Kid Flash asked, already digging in the refrigerator.

"Gotham City," Robin replied curtly, dreading the situation

"Having some kind of family reunion?" Jinx asked, flopping down on the couch and kicking off her remaining boot.

"Not quite," the Boy Wonder said, already irritated in every word he spoke He was the leader, however, and relaying the temporary team of what their roles as substitutes entailed was his job. "Jericho, Hot Spot, and Kole and Gnaark are en route to this place, so you'll be keeping the city under surveillance with them. "There are plenty of guest rooms available, but Raven's and my room are strictly off limits."

The rest of the team entered, carrying their bags, and Robin tossed each of them a vial. Cyborg and Raven managed to catch their vials, considering that Cyborg could balance everything on one arm, and Raven had the ability to stop things in mid air with her mental powers. Beast Boy and Starfire, however, dropped their items in order to catch them. "What is this stuff?" Beast Boy asked. He shifted the vial's contents in his hand, uncapped it, and took a whiff as if to find out himself.

"It's an antidote." Robin grabbed the vial back from Beast Boy and made a point of resealing it tight. Beast Boy tensed, getting the message. "If you're hit with Joker Gas, this can fix it. I could only prepare a small amount with the materials I had, so don't use it wastefully. It's for emergencies, only if your life is in danger."

They all nodded.

"You're facing down the Joker?" Kid Flash asked, taking a bite out of the mystery meat he'd found in the fridge and offering a slice to Jinx. "What'd he do?"

"Does he have to _do_ anything at this point?" Jinx asked, turning her nose up at the questionable food her boyfriend offered. Her stomach needed to settle back down into her gut before food was even an option again. "There were so many Joker wannabe copycats at Hive Academy, you'd think there would be a Joker training course."

This knowledge seemed to make Robin all the more frustrated. He really didn't want to hear about Joker or Joker's followers. "Well, we're going to get out of here. There's food, as you've already seen, and we already went over the security code. I'll let you know when we plan to return as soon as I'm aware of it."

"No problem, Mr. Leader Guy," Kid Flash waved him off, taking a seat next to the pink-haired witch on the couch. "We've got everything under control here."

"And if he forgets the security code, I totally know how to break in here," Jinx assured him, though her words didn't make any of them feel content.

-

The Titans climbed into the T-Ship, and Cyborg set a course for Gotham. "Did everyone already use the bathroom?" Cyborg asked, staring particularly at Beast Boy.

"YES," Beast Boy replied, crossing his arms.

Raven rolled her eyes, pulling out her book to read.

"Let's just go so we can take care of everything and come back," Robin begged, voice tired. The trip hadn't even started, and he was already ready for it to be over. It would have been so much easier if he could have gone on his own…

Cyborg hit the button, and they took off into the rainy sky. He had to drive slowly to get through the storm, but none of them seemed to mind too much. As much as Robin wanted to get it over with, he obviously wasn't looking forward to returning to Gotham, though none of them knew quite why. Well… maybe Raven did, but she didn't say anything.

Beast Boy had already retrieved his portable game from his bag and was fighting alien zombies from the second dimension, while Starfire was sitting quietly, lost in her thoughts, much like their leader.

It was the same thing for an hour or so until the clouds finally broke up, and they were bathed in the moonlight. There wasn't much scenery to look at, so after a few hours more, Cyborg prepared to recharge his circuits and put the plane on autopilot.

It wasn't long before Raven and Beast Boy had drifted off to sleep as well, leaving just Starfire and Robin awake. The Tamaranian girl tried to snooze, but she kept being awakened by her thoughts, and it seemed that whenever that happened she'd find Robin still sitting up, wide awake. She tried to ignore it, but before long she felt the need to say something.

"Ah… Robin…" She spoke into the com system connected to his part of the ship. "Perhaps you should get some rest. If you are concerned over the safety of the ship, I shall stay awake for awhile and keep watch."

"I'm fine. I'm not tired," He said, but she could hear in his voice that he was lying. She didn't know that he was terrified to go to sleep, for fear that the dream would again return to him.

Starfire sighed. "Please… you seem very weary, Robin. Rest your eyes."

"I'm _fine_," He said again.

There was obviously no fighting with him on the subject, so she decided to change it. "Well, then, I shall keep you company until one of the others awakens. We can play one of the games that people play when they are on long trips."

"I don't know about that," He said, though not unkindly. "It's kind of hard to play the license plate game in the sky."

"Well, we shall play the twenty questions then," She suggested, and immediately he knew that there was an alternative purpose to this.

"Star-"

"You do not have to answer the questions if they make you uncomfortable… or… you can ask me questions and I'll answer them."

"I don't know."

"Please, do not fret, Robin! I am here to keep your secrets and fears so you can tell me anything!" She saw his shoulders tense up and immediately stopped talking. "I… I am sorry. I did not mean to…"

"It's all right. Let's just go to sleep," He said and cut off the com system.

She knew he wouldn't be sleeping.

-

The sun became a sliver on the horizon, turning the sky pink. Robin watched it through half-lidded eyes, wanting so badly to rest… but he could hear that laughing at the back of his thoughts, could feel that knife waiting for him.

He lightly smacked his cheeks, trying to wake himself up, but it didn't really help. He glanced over at Starfire who had finally fallen asleep after rolling around for a couple of hours. She was probably angry with him, or hurt at least. He couldn't blame her for that… but he didn't understand why she'd suddenly tried to push some answers out of him. Was she not satisfied with what she knew? What everyone knew?

He jumped a little when Cyborg's voice came over the com system. "Morning, Rob," He said cheerfully. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you as the first one up."

"Y-yeah," Robin replied, sinking into his seat a little. "How far are we from our destination?" He already knew the answer, but he figured he'd ask anyways if only to fill the silence and get the subject off of himself.

"A couple of hours or so. We'll be able to grab some breakfast when we get there."

"I don't know about that," Robin said. "In Gotham, superheroes don't really just stop to get pancakes."

"Oh, that's right," Cyborg said, a little wary on the subject he was about to speak of, "Batman's considered a vigilante in Gotham. I guess that means that you would be considered one too, huh…"

Robin's body had tensed at the mentioning of Batman, but he managed to slump his shoulders and say, "Yeah, kind of… I packed some snacks in my bag that we can eat until we figure out some other way to get food. I know a place where we can land the ship as well where it will be taken care of."

"Where's that?"

"Camouflage it and land it on top of Wayne Tower."

Cyborg's face broke into a huge grin at the idea that he'd get to use his new toy. A few weeks ago, he had installed a special cloaking device onto the T-Ship, but they had yet to be able to use it. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he was absolutely giddy.

Robin smiled slightly. It was good to know at least _someone_ was enjoying the trip, as much as he hadn't wanted them to go.

The hours ticked by, and Robin snoozed just a bit out of exhaustion, but by the time they were near Gotham, everyone was awake and ready to go. Cyborg hit a button on the console and the entire ship became invisible to any eyes but their own. They drifted over the sky unknowingly to the pedestrians below, and soon Wayne Tower came into view.

"That is one big building," Beast Boy mentioned, staring with wonder. "You're right, Robin. That Wayne guy must be super rich! I bet he has like, twenty-seven cars and four houses and a bunch of girlfriends!"

Robin rolled his eyes and didn't dignify it with a response. "Wayne's a businessman, but we're not here to see him." He pulled out his communicator and started dialing a number on it.

After a moment, a voice came through the other line, one the other Titans didn't recognize. "Hello, this is Wayne Industries Manufacturing Department. This is Lucius Fox. How may I help you today?"

"Mr. Fox," Robin said, and for a moment there was silence on both lines. "This is Robin."

The man, Lucius Fox, didn't say a word for quite some time. "What can I do for you today, sir?" He finally asked, masking their conversation for anyone who may have been within earshot of him.

"I've got some things to take care of in Gotham. My team and I are landing our ship on your roof. You think you can take care of it for me without letting Mr. Wayne find out?"

"Well, I don't know why Mr. Wayne would mind," Lucius replied, and Robin could hear the smile in his voice, "but I won't inform him unless he asks."

"We'll be there in a few minutes. I'll meet you there. I appreciate the favor, Mr. Fox."

"Anytime, sir."

They both hung up.

"Who was that?" Starfire asked, seeing the opportunity to gain more information about their leader.

"…An old friend," Robin replied pensively.

-

Each Titan clambered out of their part of the T-Ship, stretching their achy, unused limbs. "Wow! Check it out!" Beast Boy exclaimed, peeking out over the edge of Wayne Tower at the bustling Gotham below. "This place is huge! I can't believe that this gigantic place is protected by one guy!"

"Batman doesn't do all this alone," Robin explained, sounding agitated that the Bat was mentioned. "He has the police force and Batgirl."

"There's a _Batgirl_?" Beast Boy asked, eyes twinkling with the idea of a new pretty superhero. "Maybe when we meet I can lay on my charms and-"

"She wouldn't be interested in you," Robin said flatly. "She's too old for you."

"I'm sure her age wouldn't be why she isn't interested," Raven added.

"Harsh, man. Harsh," Beast Boy grumbled, crossing his arms and pouting. "Is she Batman's girlfriend or something?"

"I'd doubt that," A new voice entered the conversation, causing all of them to turn around. An older black man stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in a nice but humble gray suit, and the smile on his face reflected this also in his personality.

"Mr. Fox," Robin greeted, smiling sincerely for the first time in what felt like forever. The man had that kind of an effect on people. He could make anyone trust him with that smile, but he also was smart enough to know not to be pulled in by other people's smiles. There was experience and intelligence in those eyes, two things that could be more useful than any physical weapon.

"How are you doing, Robin?" Fox greeted, shaking the Boy Wonder's hand. "It's been a long time since I've seen you. I've heard about your valiant work in Jump City, and I saw you on television in Tokyo a couple of months ago."

"What were you doing in Tokyo?"

"Business on behalf of Mr. Wayne, of course. What brings you to Gotham?"

"I have some of my own business to take care of," Robin responded.

"Is that so?" Fox replied, opening the door to the stairway. "Well, you all can follow me down to my office. No one will see you since I've sent all of my assistances off for the morning."

The group fell in behind the older man, following him down in a line until they reached the door at the bottom of the steps.

"So, your office is on the top floor?" Cyborg asked.

Fox laughed. "My office _is_ the top floor."

The rest of the team seemed in awe of the large, luxurious office, but Robin barely acknowledged it. Starfire took note that Robin must have been there before… or perhaps he was used to the atmosphere?

"So, you need to take care of some business, do you?" Lucius questioned, running his long fingers along his desk as he circled it and sat down. "May I ask exactly what?"

"We're pursuing-- a thief who I know originates here… paid a visit to the Wayne Industries in Jump City, but he got away. I intend to find him and apprehend him."

"Uh-huh," Fox replied, peering into Robin's face with those all-knowing eyes of his. "You not going to give me a name of this villain? After all, what if I had information that could help you?"

Robin shifted uncomfortably under the man's gaze. He could hear what he was implying behind his words. _If you get the answers from me, you won't have to get them from Batman. Remember that this isn't your city anymore, and you're not as familiar with it as you once were, _Fox said without words.

"…I-It's the Joker, sir," He mumbled.

"I had a feeling it'd be one of the big ones, but I must say that's not the answer I expected. Joker stealing from Wayne Industries, and not in Gotham? If it were someone like Riddler or Penguin, I could imagine some sort of motive."

"I'll be sure to find out what that is and get back to you on it," Robin replied sternly.

Lucius's old face broke out into a grin. "Now, who does that sound like?" He mused out loud.

Robin tensed, and his face scrunched almost into a pout. Starfire wasn't positive whom Fox had been referring to, but she couldn't help but think that it may have been the Batman.

"So, how do you plan on searching for Joker without a hideout or technology?" Fox asked.

"We have our communicators, and if I know Joker, he won't be that hard to find."

"Joker's not hard to find when he wants to be found," Lucius responded, adjusting some papers on his desk. "You shouldn't assume things will come so easily to you, Robin. That kind of attitude won't get you very far."

"I know what I'm doing," The Boy Wonder growled.

"How do you intend to leave the office here? Do you plan to just leap from building to building and sniff out the clown? I guarantee you'll run into more bats than clowns up on the rooftops, and I'm pretty sure your friends wouldn't warm up to the idea of sleeping on the roofs. Why don't you put on some civilian clothes and rent out a hotel room? I know you can afford it."

Robin seemed mortified by the very idea of going out in street clothes and seemed to be at a loss for words. Cyborg spoke before he could manage to find his voice.

"I don't think what we're wearing is quite the problem with BB and me," Cyborg mentioned, glancing at the green boy who grinned sheepishly.

"Your appearances won't be a problem. As soon as Robin rang me up, I went and got something for each of you." He opened up one of his drawers and removed two watches. "I created these a few years ago. They should allow you to appear as normal as any other person."

"So they're holographer thingies like Cyborg's rings?" Beast Boy asked, lifting it up to observe it and even give it a slight sniff. "Cool."

"What on earth does Bruce Wayne need with holograph watches?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, I just built those for fun. Building things is a hobby of mine, and Mr. Wayne's paychecks are generous enough to allow me to create things like those in my spare time," Fox replied with a humble smile. "Try not to get them wet if you can, or they'll malfunction."

"Dude, I'm seriously thinking of putting in an application here if the money is that good," Cyborg said flatly, obviously a little downtrodden and jealous of the fact that Fox had created a similar product to his own, considering he was just an average man…Well, an average _rich_ man.

Beast Boy however was a bit more excited at the prospect of going incognito. "Dude, we're totally gonna be like spies or detectives trying to find the bad guy!"

"Yeah, you're a regular Scooby-Doo," Raven said unenthusiastically. "That's what we do every day. We just don't do it in disguise."

The shape-shifter wasn't disheartened by her comment and immediately put the watch on. "Duuuude!" He exclaimed as he pushed the button several different times, changing his appearance into that of an average blonde haired child. "I don't believe it! How…" Beast Boy's voice drifted off as he became preoccupied with looking at his hands, holding his gloves underneath one armpit.

"I also had some clothing sent up for the rest of you," Fox explained, setting three neatly folded sets of clothes on the desk. "I figured it would help you out, and I live to serve after all. No one will ask questions if they see you leaving in this."

Robin lifted the short-sleeved white button down from the pile, eyeing the monogrammed DG in green on the pocket. He couldn't hide his discomfort from the team who all watched him curiously.

And then, grudgingly, almost sarcastically, Robin said to Lucius, "…Thanks."

"Anytime," Fox replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

From the bathroom, Robin found himself adjusting the buttons on his outfit over and over again in the attempt to avoid going out there… but the black slacks, yellow Converse tennis shoes, red tank top, and white button-down could only be fixed up so much before even he couldn't stand stalling anymore. Lucius had been kind enough to at least supply him with a pair of sunglasses for the time being.

He exhaled heavily running a hand through his hair and opened the door.

The other Titans had already changed and were observing their new looks when he came out. Beast Boy and Cyborg were hardly recognizable in the forms they had taken using the holograph watches. Cyborg of course had set it so he looked and dressed as he had in his stake out of Hive Academy, minus the metal jewelry of course. Beast Boy was still trying to decide on what his generated self was going to wear, pushing the button over and over again until he decided on a pair of beige cargo shorts, a green t-shirt, and sandals. Raven was in all black except for a blue jacket she had halfway zipped up. Her hair was pulled back in a clip, and she was looking less than thrilled, as usual. Starfire was in a purple top and white denim skirt with a matching hat, purple tinted sunglasses, and white boots.

"Aww, man!" Beast Boy cried when he noticed Robin standing there. "You're wearing sunglasses? I thought that we'd get to see your eyes!"

"Man, do you even _have_ eyes?" Cyborg asked, obviously frustrated by the fact that they were seeing nothing.

Robin twitched a little and tried to hold in his composure. "Let's just go and get this over with… _Please_."

The group filed out of Fox's office with a goodbye from Robin and headed down the elevator to the bottom floor.

While the lift was descending, Beast Boy eyed the insignia on Robin's shirt. "So, what's the D-G stand for anyways?"

"Don't concern yourself with it," He replied sternly, and they all knew that they weren't going to get the answer out of him. "When the doors open, don't stare at anyone, just talk amongst yourselves, and not about superhero duties. As far as everyone else knows, we're normal teenagers."

"But I know not of the difference between normal teenagers and myself," Starfire mentioned, pouting a little.

"Just don't talk about eyebeams and star bolts and flying. Talk about shopping and cell phones and boys."

"Oh… All right then."

"And don't use any of our names."

"Then what am I to call you, Robin?"

He jumped a little as the question was presented and replied lowly, "Don't call me at all right now. Don't talk about me. I'm not important."

"Oh, but you are-"

"Just… for now," He said, and she nodded solemnly. She wasn't completely sure what he meant, but she wasn't about to frustrate him anymore than he already was.

The doors slid open and the Titans stepped out, talking amongst themselves, that is, except for Robin who dug a cell phone of his pocket and made it seem as though he was chatting with somebody. Up close, the phone was obviously inactive with no one on the other line, but no one paying little to no attention would notice.

Of course, the stopping workers and stares from everyone didn't go without leaving discomfort. "Dude… they know… we're busted, we're busted!" Beast Boy whispered, swallowing hard. "Does my skin look green in this light?"

"Shh! We are not to discuss these things!" Starfire whispered back.

"They're not looking at us," Raven pointed out, and they all noticed simultaneously that the only one being watched was Robin.

The walk was far too long for the leader's tastes but he finally made it to the glass doors and out onto the sidewalk followed by his team. He slipped his inactive phone back into his pocket and let out a long sigh of relief. "All right, let's see what we can find."

"Why were they all staring at you back there?" Cyborg asked.

"One of the conditions of all of you coming on this trip was that you wouldn't ask questions!" Robin spat back defensively.

They all were taken aback by his very noticeable discomfort, considering Robin was very good at concealing his thoughts and feelings. Starfire could tell that being in Gotham, being in those clothes, put Robin on edge. With his lack of sleep, his problems that she had yet to become fully aware of, and his presence in his city of origin, she couldn't help but worry that he could very well snap under the pressure. If only he wasn't so dead set on not telling anyone anything.

Robin exhaled again, running a hand through his hair. "I… I'm sorry… I just… I'm sorry."

"Dude, you need to chill out," Beast Boy said. "We should stop and get some breakfast or something."

Robin really felt like he would hurl if was to eat anything, but he agreed in the attempt to smooth over his attitude toward his teammates. They walked a few blocks and then stepped into a local café for coffee and donuts.

"Oh, man… I totally forgot my cash!" Beast Boy exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't think I'd need it what with-" He managed to cut himself off before mentioning his superhero costume. Superheroes in Jump City oftentimes got free food for doing a good job, and he'd made the assumption that that would also be the case in Gotham. Now he had reason to be concerned, but only for a moment, when Robin ordered for them and fished out a wallet full of cash from his back jeans pocket. "Duuude!" The disguised green boy cried. "Where'd you get all the dough?"

"It's mine. Don't bring attention to my wallet please," Robin whispered through his teeth. "I'd rather not be mugged."

Beast Boy buttoned his lip, but he wasn't the only one on the team completely at a loss as to how Robin obtained so much cash. Did Lucius Fox give it to him?

Everyone ate while Robin just hunched in his seat, laying his head across his folded arms but not sleeping. So far the trip had been one exasperation after another. He felt extremely uncomfortable out of his uniform, and he knew that he wasn't hiding it well. He was so tense that his entire body ached, and his stomach was twisted up in knots out of sheer anxiety. Why was he so afraid of the Joker? He'd fought him before, and yes, he was a psychopath, but it was dream! Something so ridiculous shouldn't have paralyzed him… In fact, he wouldn't allow it to happen. That was the real reason why he'd dragged himself back to Gotham. He was about to let his head get the better of him. That had nearly happened once before with Slade…

Thinking about Slade soured his mood even more, if that was possible. _Shake it off, Robin_, He thought. _You need to get focused and stop frustrating yourself._

He wondered how sad it was that he had to give himself his own pep talk.

Starfire was watching him as she munched on a piece of lemon bread. Despite the stares and obvious questions behind her eyes, Robin couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease when she was near… at least until her questions were vocalized. If only they understood… It was better just to remain the way they were.

By the time they had finished eating, Robin was snoozing at the table. It was a welcome relief for the concerned team, and they sat for awhile longer if only to allow him a few more minutes of shut-eye, though it wouldn't amount to much.

Raven sat, applying a bit of dark blue-violet lipstick in the attempt to look less like herself, but her eyes were focused on the other bird of the group. She could sense a bit of uneasiness in him during his rest, and it felt as though it was rising rather quickly. She sensed that he was well on his way to full blown panic… most likely the same panic that had caused him to smash the mirror the night before last…

Was that really only two days ago? She could hardly believe it. It felt as though ages had passed.

"I think it's time we got a move on," Raven suggested. "Let's try and get things done so we can get out and go home." She really wasn't looking forward to facing the Joker, but she didn't want Robin to reveal any of his issues to his teammates until he was ready. She shook him slightly as she stood, causing him to awaken before he was awakened by the nightmare that seemed to be bothering him.

It was a shame… He looked so very tired.

Hoofing it in Gotham City was difficult. It was a ridiculously large city and they had a lot of ground cover. Swinging around from the rooftops or zooming through the sky would have been much easier, but Robin was bound and determined not to run into the Batman, though no one knew why.

Starfire was extremely vexed by the idea of it. It was true she did not know much about this Batman person, but she did know that the two of them had once lived together and fought together. Why were they so distant, and why was Robin so bitter? Was that the way he would someday become towards them? She certainly hoped not, and in her heart she didn't feel like it was possible… but this Batman person… what could he have done to make Robin leave him behind? Was Robin as cold to Batman as he was to the Titans?

So many questions seemed to be left unanswered. She was growing very tired of it. Though these thoughts continued to dominate her mind she again became aware of her friends around her, especially Beast Boy, who was the one currently talking.

"Man, these buildings are so high, I can't even see the top of them," Beast Boy beamed, staring up in wonder. He obviously had forgotten the point of traveling to Gotham awhile ago. "So cool. I wonder if Jump is ever gonna get this big?"

"Man, why don't you watch where you're going before you slam into someone?" Cyborg complained, fighting the urge to bonk him on the head. "Stop starin' at the sky and take in the _real _sights." The half-machine boy's face then broke out into a grin as he spotted a few attractive teenage girls passing by their group.

"I can't help it!" Beast Boy replied, turning around so he could face his teammates, but not slowing his pace at all. "We haven't been in a city this big since Tokyo! Just imagine all the cool stuff they must have that we don't!"

"Yeah, more loud noises and crime, that's so cool," Raven replied sarcastically.

Robin had out his communicator, apparently trying to track down the Joker's signal, or at least where he had last committed a crime. "We can get a hotel room tonight, but let's try and catch him today so we don't have to," He told them, never looking up from the tiny screen.

"You're no fun, Ro… uh, dude," Beast Boy laughed for the close save as a few pedestrians walked by. "There's so much to do, so much to see! Big fancy buildings, museums! A really awesome movie theater! I hear Gotham has one way bigger than the ones we have at home!"

"I've already seen it," Robin replied blankly. "It's not that impressive."

"Oh, COME ON!" Beast Boy cried. "Don't be such a stick in the mud, D-G!"

Robin looked up for a moment, said bitterly, "Don't call me that," and looked back down.

"Jeez, Rob, you've sure got an attitude problem lately," Cyborg commented obviously growing rather annoyed with the Boy Wonder's tone, along with everyone else.

Robin looked up, and for a moment, they thought he was about to shout and scold or at least deny his current attitude problem, but he did none of these things. The lines in his forehead dipped, and he said, "I've got something."

"Is it the Joker?" Cyborg asked, as the others crowded around Robin.

"No. Looks like Penguin," He replied. "He's nearby though, and if we can capture him, maybe he can tell us Joker's whereabouts. They're not really friends or anything, but they were at Arkham together, so even though it's a long shot, it's better than nothing."

They all nodded in agreement. Robin could only hope his performance improved this time around.

-

Robin was an unconventionally quick at changing into his uniform. He was ready and gone before Starfire had even gotten her boots off. He had taken off into the air, swinging from building to building as though he had done it a billion times before (and he probably had). The rest of the team struggled along behind, Starfire still shoving clothing into her bag as she zoomed along behind the rest of them.

Robin could shoot his grappling hooks onto the edge of buildings with one hand and without looking up from his track via his communicator. His knowledge of Gotham City was ridiculously memorized, even after his time away. While the other Titans would occasionally almost slam into a building they hadn't expected to be around the nearest corner, or would almost be flattened by a vehicle, Robin had no problems what so ever. Considering he hated the idea of being back in Gotham, he sure showed loyalty to it.

They found the Penguin at the Gotham Bank with a few large, exotic, rather violent birds, along with the Kabuki Twins. He could be heard cackling from inside the vault before they even got inside. With no fear, the Titans leaped inside, assuming fighting position.

"Looks like you picked a bad night to commit a crime, Penguin!" Robin shouted, smirking slightly.

The chubby, tuxedoed man seemed a little stunned by the appearance of five different heroes, including one he hadn't seen in years. "Well, well, if it isn't Batman's little pet bird!"

Robin twitched, but it went unnoticed by Penguin. "Drop the money," He commanded.

Penguin, in no mood for "pleasantries," pointed and ordered his exotic birds and equally exotic cronies forward and made for his escape. Robin gave the Titans a similar order to the henchmen and took after the boss.

"Man, are we supposed to fight the little guys why Robin gets the big baddies?" Cyborg asked, slightly jealous.

"Robin knows what he's doing. He knows how they work better than we do," Raven replied, throwing up a shield to keep the monstrous bird from pecking out her eyeballs.

"Eep!" Starfire yelped as one of the Kabuki Twins slashed at her. "I hope that Robin will be fine on his own!"

Robin was swinging from the rooftops, pursuing the Penguin who had taken to the air via the use of a propeller in his umbrella. "You might be able to fly with that thing, but you'll never be as fast as me," Robin murmured, smirking and feeling confident for the first time in what felt like forever.

He sent a grappling hook hurtling through the air and swung. He was about to catch him, he knew it, when he caught something swinging towards him from the other side of the building out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have enough time to react and collided directly with Batgirl, who only had time to shout out before they crashed against each other.

Penguin howled with laughter, zooming off as the two "Bat Brats" tumbled clumsily, getting wrapped up in each others cords and shouting out in shock and complaint.

Penguin was gone. Robin had let him get away. Another villain had gotten away. AGAIN. Sure, he wasn't flying too quickly, but Robin was so tangled that he felt as if he'd been caught in a spider's web, and the more he moved, the more tangled he became. The two struggled for a good ten to fifteen minutes before they freed themselves.

After finally managing to become untangled, he climbed the rope onto the building's roof, followed only seconds behind by Batgirl who he knew wasn't about to let him run away.

"Robin? That can't be you, can it? I'm seeing things, right?"

Robin turned to face her and was weighed down with the amount of shame he felt. He hadn't even said goodbye to her that night when he left… "Hey, Babs," He said quietly.

"It… It _is_ you," She whispered fiercely, eyes wide. She was shorter than he remembered but also more womanly. Her hair didn't hang out the back of her costume now, and he figured she must have cut it at some point, but he couldn't tell from behind the mask. Even out of the costume however, he knew he could pick her out of a crowd without issue.

"Wh… what? You…" She stammered, unsure of what to say.

Robin was at a loss for words himself. The air was already so awkward as it was, and he felt that if he said anything else, he'd just make it worse.

Finally, Batgirl settled with saying, "Wh… what are you doing here?" Her tone was far from pleasant.

"I have some… stuff to take care of," He replied, his voice surprisingly meek. He wasn't feeling much like a man under her gaze.

"Stuff? You're damn right!" She shouted, face heating in anger. "You just decide you're too good for all of us and run out one day without even a goodbye and suddenly you're swinging around the rooftops like you never left? You didn't even call! You didn't write!"

He'd had a feeling she was hurt by his sudden departure.

"How dare you show your face in this city again?" She continued, but he was only half-listening. He'd heard her words in his head before, several times during the nights when he was alone.

When her voice finally quieted down, when she had finally said every little thing she had rehearsed for so many long months, she was heaving for air and glaring at him with wide eyes. "WELL?" She asked, voice cracking a little from all the screaming she had done.

He stood there for a moment, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. To think he'd known what she would have said all this time and yet had never prepared a response. "Babs-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Ba… Batgirl," He started again, not wanting to steam her anymore than he already had. He was feeling particularly exhausted right at this moment, and he couldn't deal with anymore screaming. "You… I… It's something you wouldn't understand, okay? Is now really the appropriate time for this?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know you're not just going to run off again as soon as my back is turned, huh? That's what you did last time, you know!" She countered, closing a bit of the distance between them so that she was glaring at him from mere inches away.

"I… I know… Look… I…" His shoulders slumped when nothing would come to him. The answer was difficult even if he was thinking at full capacity, and suddenly he was feeling lightheaded. "I'm sorry."

"You're damn right you are!" She hissed. "How could you?!"

He couldn't keep her gaze anymore and averted his eyes to the ground. "I mean it. I just… I had to…" He sighed in exasperation. "You just wouldn't get it, okay? Shouldn't you be pursuing Penguin?"

_Nice one, Robin,_ He thought bitterly._ Divert the subject because you're afraid of what she'll say. That'll prove what a man you are._

"Batman will catch him," She replied quickly, though he knew that she was suddenly remembering that they had been chasing the villain down by the awkwardness in her voice. "I've caught you, and I want some answers!"

"I…" He looked up at her, somewhat pleadingly. "I… don't know what to say. I said I was sorry."

"Is that all you feel you owe me?" She asked, voice cracking, and this time he knew it wasn't from the screaming. "Really?"

Robin felt his composure starting to shatter, along with a tinge of dizziness, and he took a shuddered breath. "Ba-"

Police cars raced by on the street below, headed towards the bank. _The Titans! _He suddenly remembered. Had they won? Or…

"I have to go," He said quickly and took a leap off the building, swinging his way down onto the street.

"Of course you do!" She shouted after him sarcastically, following him, as he'd expected. "You think you can just run away again, do you? I'm not going to let you!"

"I'm not running away!" He shouted back, blood pressure rising rapidly. "I have to---" His vision suddenly tunneled, and everything went black.

"ROBIN!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Harley was singing off-key. He could hear her voice echoing along the walls in her thick Brooklyn accent, "Smile though your heart is achin', Smile even though it's breakin'… When there're clouds in the sky, you'll get by… if you smile through your fear and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow… uh… wait… what was the next part?"

Robin stared up through the bars of his cage at the direction of her voice, though he couldn't see her. His eyes searched frantically for her and for _him_, in the hopes that he could be prepared for whatever was to come next, but there was nothing. It was too dim…

Harley, giving up on remembering the words, started making up her own, "Smile in the face of madness, chaos equal so much gladness, when all of them meet their most happy end… That's the time when the birds stop singin', smiles make the bats stop wingin', we make 'em all go out in style, with one big smile…"

Robin physically shivered, and it only happened more violently when another voice, a nearby voice, said, "What a pretty little song, Harley! They should put it on the radio."

Robin flung around, searching the dimness for the Joker's face, but he again saw nothing. That was when the strumming on his cage's bars began, along with a closer, "Thanks, puddin'!"

The hand shoved through the cage with the knife… and that laughing.

"NO!!!" Robin shouted, body jerking forward, breath hitching in his throat, heart pounding against his ribcage. He looked around to find himself not in a cage but on a rooftop and with Batgirl crouched next to him.

"What? What is it? Robin!" She was shouting with her hand on his shoulder.

"Batgirl…" He breathed, managing to calm his nerves a bit.

Seeing that her ex-partner had returned to his senses, she also seemed to settle down a bit. "What's wrong? You were screaming…"

"N… nightmare…" He mumbled, wiping the sweat from his brow, still shifting his gaze as if waiting for Joker to make an appearance.

"You're lucky you didn't get splattered on the pavement," Batgirl grumbled, apparently remembering that she was angry at him. "You passed out, and I had to catch you."

"S… sorry…" It made sense, and he felt stupid for not realizing it before. With all the stress he'd been under, the lack of sleep, the skipping of meals… No wonder he had fainted. Even though he'd felt lightheaded and dizzy, he hadn't paid it any mind until it was too late. If Batgirl hadn't been there, he might have been road kill.

"Are you okay?" Batgirl asked, her voice losing the bite it had had as she helped him to his feet.

"I'm… fine…" He said hesitantly, genuinely pondering the question. He couldn't help but feel his answer was a lie. "I need to get back to the bank…"

Batgirl lingered with her hand on his shoulder for a moment, but her Bat Wave rang, and she turned around to answer it. "This is Batgirl."

"I've captured the Penguin," Batman said over the other line.

"And I--" She turned around to find that Robin was gone. "I… I'll meet you at Gotham Bank."

-

When Robin had returned to the bank, he saw that the Titans had apprehended the Kabuki twins, and they were being loaded into a van to be carted off to Arkham. Animal Control had come to take care of the birds, though one was still pecking somewhat affectionately at Beast Boy.

"Aww, look, she likes you!" Cyborg teased.

Robin approached them but before he could say anything, some of the police officers made his presence known by whispering and staring in awe. A few others seemed to have been aware of where he had gone and who his teammates were.

"Robin, you have returned, but you have not brought the Penguin with you," Starfire said.

"What happened?" Raven asked.

"He got away… I got… a bit tangled up." He decided to leave out his fainting spell so that the others wouldn't have any need to worry. As soon as they were done, the could go get lunch… or was it dinner time? He turned to look at the sky to see the sun beginning its set in the west. They had been wandering around the city all day? He felt like he didn't have a grasp on time anymore.

"Perhaps we should pursue him," Starfire suggested.

"Yeah, if we can handle a couple of birds and some crazy kung-fu chicks, we can totally handle that guy!" Cyborg grinned.

"No need," A voice from above caught their ears, and before anyone could react, Batgirl did a somersault in the air and landed before Robin and the other Titans. "Thanks a lot for leaving me behind again, Robin. At least you didn't up and leave the city this time."

Starfire's eyes sparked a bit at the sight of this new woman who seemed to know Robin, but she stayed silent and waited for an explanation.

Beast Boy's eyes widened, and a wide smile spread across his face. "Wow… She's better than I imagined!"

Batgirl turned, giving a suspicious glance at the rest of the team. "Who are all of you?" She asked.

"They're-" Robin started, but Beast Boy interrupted.

"Not important! My name's Beast Boy," The green boy said, sliding up next to her and leaning against the wall. "What's yours?" He waggled his eyebrows. Robin smacked his forehead in embarrassment.

"I'm Batgirl," She replied, even though everyone already knew the answer by her costume.

"I'm Cyborg, and this is Raven," Cyborg offered, shoving Beast Boy out of the way.

"And I am Starfire," Starfire added in. "We are the Teen Titans."

Batgirl stared at them for a few moments and then… laughed.

Robin's expression grew sour at the sound of her chuckling. "Teen Titans? How cute!" Batgirl giggled. "That's so clever!"

"It's not funny," Robin grumbled. "We're not playing superheroes. It's the real deal."

"I know, I know," Batgirl said, calming her snickers. "I wasn't saying that. Calm down, kiddo."

"I'm NOT a kid!" Robin seethed through his teeth. He had a feeling that in a way he deserved this, and she was doing it on purpose.

She smirked. Yep, she was definitely doing it on purpose.

Robin sighed, giving up on being angry about it. There was no point in it. "What happened with Penguin?" He asked, changing the subject.

"He's already back in Arkham where he belongs."

The new voice seemed to catch everyone off guard because it came out of nowhere, but the most stunned seemed to be Robin who stiffened like a board and paled considerably. The look on his face was that of utter disbelief. Raven didn't have to read his thoughts to know what he was thinking. It was written all over his face. After working so hard to avoid contact with him, Batman had dropped down right behind him without the Boy Wonder having a moment to react. All of his effort had been meaningless.

It just wasn't poor Robin's day.

Robin turned slowly, almost too slowly for it to seem humanly possible, but he met eyes with Batman too quickly for his own tastes. He didn't feel any of the shame he'd felt with Batgirl.

"How's it going?" Robin asked casually, almost a mocking sound in his voice. "You're looking spry and peppy as usual."

"I could say the same about you, Robin," Batman replied without the bat of an eyelash.

Robin clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth, but a bit of dizziness caused him to force his anger away.

"Hey, Robin, you're as white as a ghost!" Beast Boy commented. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said flatly. _No, I'm not fine. Everything is falling apart. Nothing is going the way I want it to go, and I just want to scream and punch things._

Starfire noticed that Robin wasn't about to start questioning the Batman about the Joker, and Batman didn't seem to be making any moves to question Robin's presence in the city, so she decided to take the matter into her own hands. "Hello, Mr. The Batman," Starfire greeted rather sheepishly. "I am Starfire of the Teen Titans. We have journeyed afar from Jump City in pursuit of a villainous er- villain called the Joker. Would you happen to know his location?"

This seemed to perk the interest of both Bats. "Joker?" Batman questioned. "Why are you looking for Joker?"

"He made an appearance in Jump City yesterday and stole something from the Wayne Industries building there. I intend to apprehend him and get it back," Robin replied, and Starfire could of sworn that he was working to stand a little taller, but she could have been imagining it. "I can take care of it. There's no need for you to get involved."

"Is that so?" Batgirl asked somewhat skeptically.

Batman wasn't interested in questioning the boy's abilities for the moment, instead saying, "I didn't get any reports about any theft from Wayne Industries." None of the other Titans seemed to think Batman would even know about crimes beyond his city, but they didn't know who he was either.

Robin bristled. The Joker, and that chip he'd waved so tauntingly in the air… was it a setup? No, it couldn't have been! Could it? But then why…

All of the thoughts made his head ache. He wanted to lay down into a cold pillow and sleep it off… but that release just wasn't going to happen then, and he sighed as he heard the others go on like so much meaningless noise.

There was nothing to be done but shove the headache, the sleepiness, the stress to the back corners of his mind like he had done too many times before. He didn't need to give the Bat any reason to pull the plug on his independence by being any less than 110% as leader of a team when Batman still supported his right to decide (even if he didn't support the decision) from afar with the Tower and its living expenses.

The others chatted on while Robin focused himself on what to say but even then he couldn't think on it for very long. The Titans and Batgirl seemed to be getting on well enough, each side as interested in the other half, but Batman stood a little outside that group like the silent statue he always was in uniform.

Although the Bat occupied himself with specs on his communicator he was only patiently waiting for whenever Robin decided to speak.

Though he would've been glad to, Robin couldn't just ditch Batman the way he had Batgirl, not when he was standing right there. The Bat had an effortless way of rooting people to the spot, even those who were on his side. Even those who more familiar with him than anyone else. Robin could hardly admit it even to himself but the only way he'd managed to leave the city at all was through the back door of Wayne Manor after a big fight...like a coward.

"Um..." Robin started, still unsure of what to say but wanting to take some sort of initiative after he'd been screwing up all night.

"Yes?" Batman answered simply with no pause in between his work on the communicator. He didn't say anything else, no snide remarks, no barely disguised invitations to start an argument and Robin had a feeling that Alfred had some part in that restraint, particularly after two year's silence.

Business was a safe subject. The only safe subject when the others were in such close range and Robin counted it as one of the few points for him that he'd managed to catch up with his friends before meeting up with Batman. He relayed the information he had on the Joker, knowing that Batman would not be satisfied without it when it was concerning one of the most infamous villains in Gotham. This wasn't just about Robin's pride anymore, not when the Joker was a threat in whatever city he was in whenever he wasn't behind bars.

"But," Robin said pointedly when his explanation was through. "The Joker brought his trouble to my city so you're not going to go snaking this mission away from me. If I need backup I'll call you."

"Of course," Batman responded coolly to Robin's carefully contained fire. "However this doesn't mean that I'll be sitting this one out. If you and your team can't bring him in then I will."

Robin crossed his arms, looking upon his team that had detained the whirlwinds of blades that were the Kabuki Twins without a scratch to be seen. "Be prepared to be disappointed then, old man."

Though it disappeared too quickly for him to be sure, Robin had thought that possibly there had been the ghost of a smirk on the Bat from that remark.

"You're tired, don't try to tell me that you're not," Batman headed off at once before his ward could begin to say otherwise.

Of course the Bat would know as much even from all the tells Robin tried to hide. There was no point arguing any different but at least Robin managed to hold back a sigh from escaping.

"Whatever the Joker is up to you're not going to find him tonight. Not without scouring the entire city to the break of dawn. I'll call Alfred to prepare your room and a few for your friends."

The way the Bat said it it was like the case was already closed and even throughout his fatigue Robin still felt a tick of irritation. This was Batman's city, Bruce Wayne's manor, and as long as Robin was there he wasn't a bird that had sprung free of its cage any longer. Fight it all he wanted, he was someone's ward again.

He didn't feel like he had much fight in him just then so he just said moodily, hating the meekness of his words, "Yes sir."

The way a boy would, Robin took some small pleasure that his jet left the Batmobile, as impressive as it was, a speck in the background seconds after it took to the night skies. He directed the ship away from the bustling downtown of Gotham into the more scenic countryside borders of the city, navigating just as easily there where so many hills all looked the same.

Out of the earth came a hidden passageway, and before any of the Titans knew it, the T-Ship was being parked in the hangar of the Bat Cave.

Robin climbed out first, followed quickly by his companions, and he found Alfred dusting some of the Batman's artifacts, if only to give him something to do with his hands. The old man's back was to them, so he didn't notice them right away, and Robin was content to leave him to his business in the hopes that the shame and guilt he would feel towards him could wait a few more minutes, but the Batmobile pulled in, and Beast Boy also made a point to exclaim as Batman stepped out of the vehicle, "You have a butler? That's awesome!"

Alfred jumped a little at the unexpected voice and turned to see the Titans standing awkwardly behind him. "What on earth…?" He questioned.

"He's even got an British accent! Just like in the movies!" Beast Boy practically sang, bouncing a little. "Cyborg, how cool is this? We should get a butler too-" Robin smacked his hand over Beast Boy's mouth, and it was a clear enough hint that Beast Boy shut up.

"Hello, Alfred," Robin mumbled, heat in his cheeks from embarrassment, eyes averted from remorse.

"M… Master Dick?" Alfred asked, even though he knew it to be true. There was a bit of wonder in his voice, but Robin had to admit that he was surprised at the morsel of happiness within it as well. It appeared Alfred was not nearly as bitter as Batgirl had been.

The team didn't understand, obviously, because Cyborg angrily put in his own two cents. "Hey! There's no need for name-calling, man! I know Robin and you guys must have a history but-"

"Cyborg, that's Robin's real name," Raven interrupted with annoyance. "It's obviously short for Richard."

"…Oh," Cyborg said, grinned sheepishly, and slipped away to go make sure he turned off the T-Ship.

"Ah… Greetings!" Starfire said to Alfred, trying and failing to hide the excitement in her chest over the information she had just learned about Robin. "We are the Teen Titans!"

"But of course I know who you are," Alfred replied, smiling lightly. "I've kept track of what all of you have been up to over the years."

"Thanks, Alfred, but that really wasn't necessary…" Robin meekly added in, but he'd known that Alfred would have done it had Robin been doing nothing more than goofing off in Jamaica. Alfred had to keep tabs on anything and everything, especially the things he cared about.

"Yep, Alfred, take a look!" Batgirl shouted, sitting on the hood of the Batmobile. "Our little songbird has returned home. Maybe when he leaves this time he'll say goodbye."

Robin couldn't help but think that Batgirl was a bit too good at holding a grudge. He didn't want to hear such bitterness out of her the entire time he was there, so he tried drawing out the Batgirl he used to tease but generally get along with. "Didn't think you'd miss me so much, _Babs_."

"Don't call me Babs, _Dick_," She hissed back.

"Babs, Babs, Babs, Babs, Babs," He replied, smirking. It didn't take too much tact to get her steamed, especially when it was him. She'd treated him like a little brother ever since they had met, so he figured that he may as well return the favor.

"Quit it!" She shouted, leaping off the car and grabbing the front of his shirt. "I'll pound you, you twerp!"

"Barbara," Batman interjected. "Don't you think you're a little old to be annoyed by his teasing?"

_Score one for me_, Robin thought as she released him and crossed her arms. Her pout softened into a semi-sad smile, and she said, "Welcome back, Dick. Try not to screw anything up while you're here."

"You too," he replied uncomfortably. It still felt so odd to be back at the cave. Not so long ago, he'd run off with the resolve to never, ever return… but here he was, back again only two years later.

"Hey, thanks for letting us stay here… but uh…" Beast Boy said hesitantly. "Where do we sleep? Is there gonna be food?"

Raven elbowed the green boy hard in the shoulder, making him whimper like a puppy. "Must you be rude?"

"Hey, you may be fine with sleeping on the ground, but I want a big comfy pillow at least," Beast Boy whined.

"Don't worry about it," Batgirl said, removing her cowl to reveal a short red hair cut parted on the right and a set of big brown eyes. "If you take the elevator up, you'll be in the house. There's plenty of room in there."

Cyborg had returned from sulking in embarrassment just in time to see Batman removing his own cowl. "Hey… HEY!" Cyborg shouted, gathering the attention of all the Titans. "Wh… no way… Batman is…"

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce replied, typing something into his computer. "Nice to meet you."

"What? But… I… awww…" Cyborg said in exasperation.

"Alfred, show the Teen Titans to their rooms please. Dick, I'm sure you still remember where yours is."

Without the energy to question anymore, everyone fell in line behind the butler and took the elevator up into the house. The Titans were mesmerized by the sheer size and splendor of Wayne's residence. Robin took in the scenery like a slap in the face.

"I don't have anything prepared, but if you'd like something for dinner I can probably whip something up," Alfred explained, curt and proper as usual. The others would never see it, but Robin saw the hint of a smile that the man had been wearing since he'd laid eyes on Robin, and he did appreciate somebody not trying to guilt trip him.

"Um… I don't eat meat or anything. I'm a vegan, so, uh…" Beast Boy started.

"I'll see what I can do, Master ah-"

"Beast Boy."

"Yes… of course, Master Beast Boy."

"Master…" Beast Boy glanced at Cyborg, grinning. "Cool."

"I think that I'll take a shower… I don't need to be shown to my room, so…"

"Whatever you wish, Master Dick."

Robin stood in the doorway, watching them for a few moments before slipping off to the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

-

The water was scalding hot, the way he liked it, as he scrubbed himself down as if he was washing away the fingerprints of Harley Quinn and the Joker. He felt his neck for a moment, once again finding no thin line of blood but feeling it as if it had been there. His hand didn't hurt anymore, but the cuts and bruises made it appear rather gruesome for the moment.

He sighed, shutting his eyes as the water cascaded down his shoulders. It felt good to his sore shoulders. He'd been so tense all day.

Someone grabbed him from behind by the arms, jerking him back, and he heard himself scream.

Robin gasped, eyes flying open to find that he was still alone. Breathing heavily, he searched the steam-filled room with his eyes. He couldn't really see anything or anyone but it more intensified his nerves rather than alleviated them. He shut the water off and grabbed a towel, drying himself as quickly as he possibly could. He pulled on the outfit that Lucius Fox had supplied for him, simply because he could get it on more quickly than his skin-tight uniform. White, embroidered shirt hung open, as he with hair still dripping wet made his escape from the room.

_I'm losing it. I'm losing my mind_, He thought frantically as he descended the steps, swung around the banister and shut himself in the dining room. He exhaled, forehead against the wood of the door.

"Robin?" Raven's voice.

He jerked a little, and he realized that the sounds of eating were being heard. He turned slightly to see the Titans enjoying their dinners, especially Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Ah, Master Dick, just in time," Alfred greeted, entering from the kitchen with a plate of his favorite foods.

The other Titans took notice of the Boy Wonder and were now staring wide-eyed at him, completely silent.

"Wh… what?" Robin asked, sinking under their gaze. "Is there something on my face?"

"Yeah…" Beast Boy whispered in awe. "Eyes."

It took Robin a moment before he realized what he meant. Eyes… He'd forgotten his mask in the bathroom. They were seeing his face… He was horrified.

"Ah…" He stammered. "That is… uh…"

"You look exhausted, Master Dick!" Alfred exclaimed, setting the plate down in front of his seat. "Such dark circles! I certainly hope you haven't been spending your nights playing those video games."

Robin silently took his seat, swallowing hard. He wasn't feeling his appetite too much at the moment, but the need to eat outweighed his thoughts for the moment, and he wolfed it down quickly, clearing the plate. He swallowed the last bite with a bit of effort and exhaled, standing. "I'm going to go ahead and get to bed," He said quickly, turning only to find Bruce entering the room at that moment.

"Barbara went home. She said to call if she's needed," Bruce said.

"Whatever," Robin mumbled, brushing by him without looking him in the eyes. Maybe he was feeling a little shame when it came to Bruce after all…

"Robin," Starfire started to call after him but decided against it, instead staring sadly at her plate.

"Miss Starfire, you have not touched your drink. Is there a problem?" Alfred asked.

"Oh, no, I am fine," She said, giving him a slight smile. "It is just that I usually prefer a bottle of the delicious mustard. It is my beverage of choice."

"Mustard?" Bruce couldn't help but question out loud.

"Yeah, we're pretty grossed out by it too," Raven explained flatly.

-

Robin was stunned to find his room in the exact state he had left it, right down to the posters on the walls and the shirt he'd left hanging off a knob on his dresser. It seemed that it had been kept dusted and swept, but nothing had been taken away or misplaced.

"Alfred," He sighed, half-smiling.

He dug through the drawers until he found a pair of pajamas and slipped into them. He collapsed onto the old bed, face buried into his goose-feather pillow, and sighed.

Yeah, a lot of bad things had happened, but so far it hadn't been _so bad_…

His eyes started to drift shut, and before long, sleep had claimed him.

-

A chuckle in the shadows… He looked around, finding nothing but an alleyway. He could hear laughing all around him, echoing off the walls… He was running, clawing through the night, cackling droning in his ears, making it impossible for him to hear anything else.

A flash.

Suddenly, he was standing alone, and strewn around him… Raven… Cyborg… Beast Boy… Starfire… Barbara… Bruce.

Robin howled out in horror, rolling out of the bed and hitting the hard wood floor with a thump. He couldn't breathe… He was on the verge of a panic attack.

_It's not real… It's not real! It's just a dream! _He told himself, forcing himself to his feet with the help of his nightstand. The clock read 3:30 AM, red numbers eerily bright in the dark room.

He opened the door to his room and stepped into the dimly lit hallway, concentrating on his breathing in the attempt to calm his heart and nerves. He walked a ways, hoping to get his head together, walked circles around the floor he was on and then down the steps to the next one. He made his way around a corner and-

"AGH!" Robin screamed, jumping back after colliding with something… someone.

Bruce stood with a raised eyebrow in front of the bathroom, holding a pile of what appeared to be Robin's uniform. "Dick?"

Well, this wasn't awkward at all… Robin swallowed but couldn't help but pant a bit. He'd been walking much faster than he'd realized.

"You're soaked to the bone," Bruce said, eyeing the pajamas Robin had been wearing. His focus lingered for awhile on the bare ankles, since the pajamas had become far too short for him.

"Uh… y-yeah… It's uh… it's really warm in my room, so I was just getting some air…" Robin lied.

Bruce eyed him suspiciously, not believing him obviously, but not questioning him either. "Odd. The heater was working fine yesterday. I'll have someone check it out," Bruce shrugged, taking his leave and heading down the steps to stash the costume in the Bat Cave.

Robin soon made his way down the steps as well and found himself in an all too familiar room. His heart both filled with sadness and relief as he stood in front of the fireplace, staring up at the picture of his parents smiling down at him. He sat in the chair before it, bringing his knees up to his chest, unable to take his eyes from theirs… How long had it been? He tried to remember, but he couldn't… So much had happened in his life… He hadn't even been to their grave site since he left two years ago…

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, hanging his head, feeling cold and alone in the warm firelight. "I'm so sorry…"

He didn't notice Bruce standing just beyond the doorway, looking in on him and his silent conversation with the picture that would never speak anyway. He didn't know that he looked so small and so hurt and so frightened… and he didn't know that Bruce had walked away, unsure of what else to do.

(A/N: For the record, the song Harley is singing is "Smile" by Nat King Cole.)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

By dawn, Robin stirred from sleep, finding himself oddly rested despite the fact that he'd slept in an arm chair. A dreamless sleep was the most precious gift he could have received, and he was certainly grateful for it. Stretching, he crawled out of the chair and took the long stairway up until he reached his room on the top floor. Shoving the window open, he took in the early morning light and cool air. Exhaling, he meditated for a moment, standing completely still, hands pressed against each other before his chest.

His leg cut through the air like a blade, swinging with accuracy and grace along its path. It felt good to use his muscles, considering he'd missed two training sessions. His fists glided out from him, and he jumped, spinning and slamming his foot into one imaginary enemy while his elbow collided with another. He continued his solo dance routine until the sun had made its way over the horizon, and he'd broken into a sweat. He fluidly flipped and twisted and swung as if he was more water than man. Drops of perspiration flung off of him and glistened in the sunlight as they descended. He landed on the ball of his right foot, making a slow turn with his left leg straight out to the side, and then he came to rest, lowering all of his limbs and returning to his original stance, hands pressed before his chest.

When he opened his eyes, he found his gaze lingering on the figure who had taken a spot in the doorway. She had been there for quite some time, assuming she hadn't been noticed, but he'd sensed her the moment she'd arrived. "Good morning, Starfire," He greeted, smiling at her. Despite the problems that had been weighing on his mind, he was feeling much more joyful this morning.

"Good morning to you as well, Robin!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "It is very nice to see you in such good spirits!"

He had to agree with her as he started for the doorway. She extended a white, fluffy towel to him that she'd apparently been saving for him. "Let us go down and have the breakfast, yes?"

He wiped his face and threw the towel around his shoulders. "Yeah. Let me just change out of these pajamas."

She nodded. "I shall wait right here for you then."

He pushed the door until it was only cracked open and stripped of the damp pajamas and changed back into the only pair of casual clothes he currently had. Starfire had innocently stood by the door for as long as it took him, and as they were walking down the hallway, she slipped her pinky finger around his. The awkward little intimacies of their relationship that were starting to work their way into their lives had been ignored for the past few days, and it was another thing that the Boy Wonder was enjoying. He'd never been very good with girls, at least nowhere near as good as smooth talking Bruce, but Starfire was ridiculously patient with him. She seemed to understand that it made him nervous when he had to express himself in a romantic sense, so she would make a move before him, a small move that wouldn't make him jump.

Robin laced his fingers with hers, trying to hide the slight blush that crept into his cheeks when he did so.

"Robin, if I may say something," Starfire said, a kind smile on her lips, "your eyes are lovely."

"Thanks, I guess…" He mumbled, looking away.

She frowned a little, seeing that discomfort again, the discomfort that he'd felt when they had been casually dressed on the streets the day before. She wondered why it bothered him so much, but she didn't want to ask him and spoil the good mood.

They reached the dining room to find the other three Titans eating their breakfast, Cyborg and Beast Boy downing the food as if it was some sort of contest (and maybe it was). Robin released Starfire's hand a little nervously as Alfred entered the room.

"Good morning, Master Dick, Miss Starfire," He greeted.

"Morning, Alfred," Robin replied, taking his seat. "Bruce is still snoozing, I take it?"

"No, he left early this morning for a hospital opening."

"Oh," The Boy Wonder responded, voice flat and unreadable.

"Hey, why don't we do hospital openings?" Beast Boy asked, pointing his fork at Robin.

"Because Bruce Wayne does them, not Batman, and it's something that you have to be asked to do," Robin replied curtly as Alfred set a plate of French toast before him.

"Well, why don't they ask us?" Beast Boy asked, pouting a little. "We're practically celebrities in Jump City."

"Our city is a lot smaller than Gotham," Raven interjected, taking a sip of her herbal tea, the only thing she'd asked for. "We don't really need any new hospitals right now or anything else."

"It'd still be cool though," Beast Boy said.

"With Batman villains showing up in Jump, we may not be too far from needing more hospitals," Cyborg added.

"We can handle it," Robin said, waving his fork in the air.

"That is correct!" Starfire exclaimed, also finding her place at the table, just as Alfred set down her breakfast. "We can handle anything that comes our way."

"Totally!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I mean, come on! We faced the end of the world and still won!"

"We washed your shorts and survived," Raven added flatly.

"Yea-- HEY!"

The others laughed as they continued eating, and Beast Boy's pout was even replaced by a grin after a moment.

Robin felt like he was floating on air, comparing how he had felt the day before to the way he was feeling now. His improved attitude didn't go unnoticed by Alfred who smiled at him as he picked up their cleaned plates. "It's good to see my breakfast being eaten for once," He said. Robin knew for sure that Bruce would skip breakfast more often than he'd attend.

"I think I'm gonna go down and get my costume," Robin said, getting to his feet. "These clothes need to be washed."

"Bring them up, and I shall do so, Master Dick."

Robin nodded and left the rest of the team to their over-zealous conversations. It was nice to remember to hear their voices.

One elevator ride down, and Robin was alone in the Batcave. There was a distant sound of dripping water and a very slight breeze, but otherwise it was silent except for his footsteps on the pavement. "Exactly where I expected," He mumbled, finding the suit incased in glass. He placed his palm on the button before it, and the glass tube shot up into its holster. The Boy Wonder was just removing his shirt from the mannequin when suddenly the air exploded with the sound of the Bat Wave going off.

Robin turned towards the large super-computer almost by reflex.

-

Upstairs, the Titans all still sat in the dining room, talking loudly like teenagers do. "Oh, Mister Alfred! Do come and sit with us!" Starfire exclaimed, waving at him with both hands. "We would so much like to learn of Robin's friends from the past!"

"Miss Starfire, as much as I appreciate your offer, I'm afraid a few stories from an old butler would be far from interesting to you teenagers," Alfred replied, curt as usual.

"Oh, come on!" Cyborg chimed, grinning. "You're Batman's butler! I'm sure you've got loads of crazy stories!"

"Tell us about Catwoman!" Beast Boy cried, as if he'd been holding in the request since they had arrived. "Is she like what the headlines say?"

Alfred cleared his throat. "I wouldn't know anything about that, Master Beast Boy."

"Well, you gotta know all kinds of stuff about Mr. Wayne," Cyborg said, unsatisfied with the answer. "I mean, he's one of the greatest heroes of all time. What made him decide to do it? Be Batman, I mean."

Alfred's eyes lingered on Cyborg for a long moment before he replied, "For an answer as to why Master Bruce is the way he is, perhaps you would be better suited to ask Master Dick."

Right on cue, Robin burst through the door in full costume, tense and ready. "Titans, trouble!"

-

The Riddler never considered himself much of a fighter. It was because of this that when he hired goons, he usually hired the large, bulky type. They weren't much good for conversation, or even really tolerating for that matter, but when it came to keeping pesky bats or birds or police officers at bay while he was working on his schemes, they were top notch material. Sure, they were generally pretty stupid, but that was actually pretty advantageous to him. Stupid people didn't ask too many questions, and they could never figure out his riddles and thus never get into his private materials and screw them up. Really, using stupid people was a lot like using robots, only they were cheaper though with the likelihood of human error. In the end, The Riddler figured the pros outweighed the cons. At least, it seemed that way, considering Batman had yet to make an appearance.

Plus, they were great at keeping hostages quiet. Said hostage, Mr. Mario DeSand, was certainly quiet now anyways, considering he was bound and gagged. The normally confident man held pure horror in his dark brown eyes, his usually tanned physique pale and slumped and trembling.

-

Robin stared at the message carved into the street as though by laser. The Riddler always did have "fun" little ways of making his messages loud and clear. Carving into one of the busiest streets in Gotham City, forcing it to be taped off and making disgruntled workers take the back roads to their offices was a really good way to get attention.

Robin read aloud, "Joe bets Tony $100 he can predict the score of the football game before it starts. He agrees. Why did Tony lose the bet?"

Chief Rojas, incompetent as ever, immediately started blurting out how much nonsense it was and that they should be looking for real villains. Commissioner Gordon was quick to point out that the Riddler was a perfectly legitimate villain, considering he was currently in possession of a hostage with whereabouts unknown.

"Dude… what does it mean?" Beast Boy couldn't help but ask.

"The answer is obvious," Robin replied, though he wasn't smiling. "Tony lost the bet because the score before the game is zero."

"Okay… so… what does _that_ mean?" The shape-shifter repeated.

"Give me a minute," He mumbled, standing completely still, arms crossed. Batman wouldn't be there to answer the hidden answer within the riddle, and frankly, Robin didn't want him there. Maybe he was having some issues with taking down the Joker on his own, but Riddler? This was a challenge he was willing to take on. He was leader of the Teen Titans, after all. It was about time he started acting like it…

The idea of showing up Bruce wasn't too discouraging either.

"Oh, I got it!" Cyborg exclaimed. "They must be at the football stadium!" A wide grin spread across his face at his realization.

"I don't think so," Robin replied, knocking Cyborg's confidence down a few pegs. "Riddler wouldn't make it nearly so obvious… I bet it has something to do with… the number…" He paused, deep in thought, when it hit him. "Oh, of course!" He shouted, snapping, causing the others who had been listening intently to the silence to jump. "The number 100, and the zero in the answer, 1000.… What address has the number 1000 in it?" He turned to the commissioner, who knew the city better than Robin or even Batman ever could.

"Well…" Gordon mumbled, scanning his mental map. "Oh! The Gotham Aquarium! It was shut down last year, but the building is still there."

"It's the perfect place for a villain to hide," Robin said, face breaking out in a grin that he couldn't suppress. "Titans, let's go!" he shouted, and they all fell into position as usual.

"Well, if he ain't there, I KNOW he's at the football field!" Cyborg made sure to point out as he took off after the rest of them.

-

Gotham Aquarium was lit only by the light of its empty tanks, giving the area a creepy glow. The Riddler spun his cane and slammed it down hard on the ground, turning his white face, blue-green in the light, towards the terribly frightened Mario.

"You think yourself clever, do you not, Mr. DeSand?" he questioned, his voice chillingly casual.

Mario couldn't answer because he was gagged, but he would have remained silent regardless.

Riddler tapped his fingers on the top of his cane, the quiet tinkling noise unbearably loud in the room. "No need to answer, Mr. DeSand. Everyone knows what you think of yourself…" His eyes narrowed. "A sports-playing man is always…. _Overconfident._"

But Mr. DeSand was quite the opposite of overconfident, staring up at the Riddler, eyes wide and begging for his life to be spared.

Riddler kept going on. "You're destroying the old Gotham museum to build a community center for children… a community center where children who would have previously come to the location in pursuit of knowledge instead are scrutinized against the stronger and more active children until they are physically and mentally destroyed." Riddler lifted his cane and banged it down on the ground hard, the sound making even the henchmen guarding the door flinch. "What on earth made you think that was a good idea?!"

Terrified and still unable to speak in his defense, Mario just sobbed and shook his head frantically. He made a few muffled cries as Riddler's thumb stroked the top of the button on his cane that would do something unknown. It was a subtle threat, but as close as Mario and Riddler were, the business man saw it immediately.

"You know, I'm a bit of a boaster myself, Mr. DeSand. It says something about my character that I can admit that kind of thing," Riddler mocked, walking behind him and removing the gag. "Because of this particular puzzle piece of my personality, I just don't feel right explaining the truth to you without you being able to respond."

"Okay… y-you're right, you're right…. Just…. Puh-please just l-l-let me go," Mario whimpered.

"But you're a game player, Mr. DeSand! I want to play," Riddler hissed, smirking.

"Game's over, Riddler!"

The man in green threw his gaze up to the rafters to find shadows looming just above him.

"Oh, you found me, didn't you," he said, smile not fading. "I'm a bit surprised that you're not Batman though."

Robin leaped off of his perch and landed before the Riddler and his hostage. He was followed quickly by his teammates.

"Oh, if it isn't Robin the Boy Wonder," Riddler said, pouting a little. "For a minute there, I thought it'd be someone interesting. Did Batman spoon-feed you the answers all the way here? How dull."

"I figured it out on my own," Robin complained, pouting a little also, despite himself. "I don't need Batman anymore!"

"Are you telling me that or you that?" Riddler asked, pushing the button. Mario screamed as the chair he was tied to plummeted into a hole that appeared in the floor. Raven moved quickly however and caught the man with her powers, swinging him to a safe location before placing the chair back on the floor.

Robin wasn't going to wait for him to pull another trick, knowing he needed to get that cane to ultimately stop him. He released his Bo staff and swung, sending metal clanging against metal as the Riddler held up his cane in defense.

"You oafs!" the villain shouted at his henchmen. "Why are you just standing there?!"

Said oafs, realizing they were needed, stirred from their frozen position and took off after the other titans. Starfire blasted them with her eyes, sending one of them backwards. One of them grabbed Beast Boy and tossed him into one of the fish tanks. He came crawling back out as a giant squid and wrapped his tentacles around the man. The crony struggled against Beast Boy's eight arms, but the green shape-shifter wasn't giving up that easily. Starfire was quickly gaining an advantage over the other thug, surprising him with her inhuman strength.

"Cyborg! Get the hostage!" Raven shouted, turning to see their leader battling it out with the brains of the operation.

Cyborg blasted the goon that Beast Boy had been fighting with his arm cannon before nodding and running over to the trembling Mario.

While Cyborg quickly went to untie the hostage, Raven took off after Robin and the Riddler who were practically sword fighting with their staffs. As she approached, Riddler glared at her and pressed another button on his cane, and from the ceiling came what appeared to be a giant swinging mallet, slamming into her back and sending her crashing into Robin.

In the struggle to get back to their feet, Raven's hand brushed across Robin's face, and suddenly she was overcome with a flash of images. Bodies and birdcages, singing and screaming… and that laughter. She was frozen for a long moment, overcome with the chill that had settled in her bones. She was so distracted that she didn't see the Riddler swing his cane back and only became aware of him when the golden item crashed against her skull.

"Raven!" Robin shouted, pouncing on Riddler. His fingers closed in on the cane, and suddenly they were in a tug of war over it. Robin pulled hard, making sure not to accidentally push any buttons when he didn't know what they did. His physical strength was most definitely superior to Riddler's, so if he could just get it away from him….

Riddler loosened his grip for a moment so that Robin pulled it far forward, and for a moment the Boy Wonder thought he had won. The second of overconfidence was a lapse in judgment, for the Riddler took tight hold and pulled sharply back, causing the sharp point of his cane to rake across Robin's ribs. He shouted out in pain, but it was enough motivation for him to yank it hard enough to release it from the Riddler's grip.

Robin spun the cane and held it defensively. "You lose," Robin growled and kicked him in the jaw.

Raven rose from her spot on the ground, dazed but okay. There would most likely be a bruise on her temple, but she'd seen the cane in a split second of enough time to slow it just enough with her powers. That, and the Riddler wasn't ridiculously powerful.

Starfire slammed a thug against the wall, and while Beast Boy had had a minor setback from having his tentacles tied into a bow, Cyborg had taken down the other one.

Raven used her powers to lock the Riddler in a makeshift prison of darkness, just as the police were making their way in. Starfire helped her to her feet, and she assured the Tamaranian that she was fine.

Robin handed the cane to the commissioner. "That was easy," he explained, grinning ear to ear. Despite his injury, the fact that he had won left him quite obviously giddy. If only Batman had been there to see it. Raven knew he had been thinking it.

What he didn't realize was that Batman had arrived in the middle of the scuffle but didn't descend upon the fight when it was obvious that Robin could handle it. He stood in the rafters, a shadow on the ceiling, his presence and his smile going unnoticed as the Titans and police exited the building with criminals in tow.

Raven gave the rafters a passing glance as she exited, and a distant echo of that laughter in her head made her shiver. "What was that….?" she mumbled.

-

"Oh, Robin! You are injured!" Starfire exclaimed.

He had made a move to send a birdarang into the air to latch onto a building and winced when lifting his arm. His shirt had darkened somewhat around the area.

"It's all right," Robin assured her, tenderly touching the spot. "It's nothing a little bit of time and bandages can't fix."

"Well, please… allow me to carry you back to the Batman Cave," she offered. "It is not good to move so much before treating the wound."

His testosterone was objective to the idea, but her sweetness was too much to fight against. He remembered that when he was a child, he'd made a pact with one of his friends to never be swayed by a girl like all the older boys. Oh, how impractical that pact had been…

He laughed a little at the thought. "Okay, Star… Sure."

Her smile spread ear to ear, and she took off into the sky, picking him up bridal-style in the process. "Not… exactly what I expected," he mumbled.

Beast Boy laughed, turned into a crow, and flew off after.

"Well, Rae, let's get goin'," Cyborg commented, starting back towards the cave. He looked back at her and saw the discomfort on her face, a weird expression for Raven to have. "Rae?"

"When my hand grazed across Robin's face during the fight, I saw something… something horrible," She admitted darkly. "I don't know what it was, but I have a really bad feeling."

When Raven was saying that, Cyborg knew it had to be a big problem. "Oh… Well, what do we do?"

"I don't know… not yet."

(A/N: A little short, but finally updated. Thanks to snowfallsslow from The Muse Bunny for helping me when I hit a snag!)


End file.
